Afghanistan promised on Monday to “seriously investigate” the incidents of harassment of Pakistani diplomats and staffers of the embassy in Kabul.
Pakistan said on Sunday that its officers and staff of the embassy were being harassed in Kabul over the past two days and that they were obstructed on the road and the embassy vehicles were also hit by motorcycles while going towards the embassy.
The Foreign Office said that the Afghan chargé d’affaires was summoned to convey serious concerns over the safety and security of the diplomatic personnel of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul and its sub-missions.
Afghan Foreign Ministry said it wants to address to Pakistan’s concerns that its diplomats in Kabul have been harassed.
“In connection with the security concern of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Kabul that has led to the closing of the Embassy’s consulate section, as expressed in a statement of Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan states that the Government of Afghanistan shall seriously investigate this claim and provides assurance that the Government of Afghanistan is committed to providing safety to the diplomats of Pakistan as well as other diplomats in the country,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry alleged that Pakistani intelligence agency “summoned” Afghan ambassador in Islamabad Atif Mashal and the “misconduct of the entity’s personnel, and deems this action in clear contradiction with diplomatic norms and principles.” The statement urged the Pakistani Government to “align its diplomatic relations with Afghanistan in compliance with international conventions and accepted diplomatic norms.”
The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its deepest objection and concern over the summoning of the ambassador.
The ISPR and Foreign Office spokesman did not reply to queries posted on their WhatsApp.
Afghan Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Grwan Hewad told the BBC Pashto that all concerns should be resolved through diplomatic channels rather than sharing with the media. He also opposed closure of the consular services by Pakistani embassy in Kabul.
He was quoted as saying that the Afghan government is investigating into the statements issued by the Pakistani Foreign Office and Pakistani embassy in Kabul to resolve the problem.
The Pakistan Embassy in Kabul announced late Sunday that consular section of the embassy will be closed from Nov. 4 due to security reasons until further intimation.
Last month, Afghanistan closed its consulate in Peshawar after police in Peshawar removed Afghanistan national flag from a market that Kabul says its property.
Veteran Pashtoon national leader Afrasiab Khattak has urged the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to sort out their relationship.
Khattak on twitter opposed closure of Pakistani visa operation in Kabul and questioned as to why common Afghan citizens are affected for bad relations by closing visa offices? He said such policies destroy in minutes the goodwill created over decades, urging Pakistani government to immediately reconsider the decision.
