ISLAMABAD: Two officials of the Pakistani consulate in Afghanistan’s eastern Jalalabad city have gone missing, Pakistani sources said on Saturday.
The officials were travelling to Pakistan by road on Friday, but could not reach Torkham crossing, a source told Daily Times. They were coming to Pakistan for Eid holidays.
“Pakistani authorities in Kabul have formally informed the Afghan authorities about the matter and sought their help in their safe recovery,” he said.
“We had not received any information from the Afghan officials until late Saturday,” a Pakistani source said.
Afghan ambassador in Islamabad Dr Omar Zakhilwal has confirmed the incident.
“Yes I am aware of it and so are our relevant institutions. They are searching for the missing officials,” Zakhilwal said when he was contacted for his comments.
Daily Times is aware of the name of the missing officials, but is withholding their identity on the request of Pakistani officials as their families have not been informed yet.
There are two possibilities — either a criminal gang has kidnapped them for ransom or Afghan security officials have taken them into custody. However, neither Pakistani nor Afghan side has any official version.
The incident occurred nearly a month after Afghan intelligence officials detained two staffers of Pakistani embassy in Kabul for three hours.
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,’ Pakistani sources had stated last month.
Pakistan had lodged a formal protest over the incident by summoning deputy head of the mission.
Meanwhile, Pakistan on Saturday reopened one of its main crossing points with Afghanistan that was closed in February after terrorist attacks that had killed nearly 100 people.
Pakistan had closed all border points with Afghanistan after the security officials blamed the militants, which they said operated from the Afghan side of the border, for the attacks.
Two major crossings – Torkham and Chaman – had already been opened, but few others remained closed.
“The government of Pakistan has opened Kharlachi crossing with Afghanistan in Kurram area with effect from today (Saturday),” the Foreign Office said.
The decision reflects Pakistan’s continued efforts for facilitating Afghan transit and trade through Pakistan, a statement said.
The Foreign Ministry clarified that it was not a pedestrians crossing, but was meant for facilitation of trade and transit vehicles.
