ISLAMABAD: Afghan intelligence officials on Wednesday allegedly ‘kidnapped and kept in illegal detention’ two staffers of Pakistani embassy in Kabul for three hours, sources privy to the incident said.
“One of the two Pakistani officials was also beaten,” a source told Daily Times from Kabul via phone. “Both were released after three hours when Pakistan embassy approached senior Afghan officials,” he said.
Revealing details of the incident a source said that Hasan Khanzada, a clerk at the visa section, and Syed Munir Shah, embassy driver, had gone to a stationary shop when reportedly some agents of the National Directorate of Security ‘forcibly took them along with their car to one of their centres’. “The NDS men also beat Hasan Khanzada during the detention,” the source alleged.
The Afghan intelligence officials initially refused to confirm that they were holding Pakistani embassy staff members. However, later they confirmed that the two men were in the NDS custody. Both were allowed to go later on.
There was no word from the Afghan side on the incident till the filing of this report.
Daily Times has learnt that the embassy has shared details of the incident with the Foreign Office in Islamabad. The Foreign Office is likely to officially take up the issue with the Afghan government through their embassy in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, the Afghan deputy head of mission was summoned to the Foreign Office on Wednesday to lodge protest over the incident in which two diplomatic officials in Kabul were detained allegedly by Afghan security agencies, the Foreign Office said.
The Fo conveyed to the Afghan envoy that the incident was a clear violation of the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations (1961) and against the spirit of the brotherly relations between the two countries, a statement said.
“It was emphasized that such incidents undermine the constructive engagement which the two countries envisaged for strengthening of bilateral ties.” The Foreign Office urged the Afghan government to take immediate steps to ensure the security and safety of Pakistani diplomatic personnel and premises and ensure that such incident do not take place in future.
The incident happed just days after Pakistan sent three high-level delegations comprising lawmakers and military and intelligence officials in an effort to improve relation between the two countries. “Such incidents could have negative impact on relations and affect Pakistan’s recent efforts to reduce the tension,” a Pakistani official said.
