Abduction of Afghan envoy’s daughter sparks criticism

Kabul residents voiced their anger over the abduction of the Afghan envoy’s daughter in Islamabad on Sunday and held a protest in front of Pakistan’s embassy.

The protestors accused Pakistan of negligence and not safeguarding Afghan diplomats and their family members.

“I think Pakistan should acknowledge that it can’t control ISI policy. They can’t provide security and protection to the Afghan diplomats. They should announce this officially,” said Shinkai Karokhail, annMP.

“We want Pakistan to avoid such crimes, we also want UN and OIC to ask Pakistan to stop interfering in Afghanistan,” said Fahim Kohdamani, a civil society activist.

The protestors called on the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to pursue the case seriously, and also called on Pakistan to arrest the perpetrators.

MoFA in reaction to the abduction summoned Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s envoy in Kabul.

The MoFA “explicitly called on the Pakistani government to take immediate action to identify and punish the perpetrators of this crime and ensure the full security and immunity of Afghan diplomats and their families in accordance with international conventions,” said MoFA.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, meanwhile, ordered his country’s interior minister to arrest the perpetrators with in 48 hours.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Pakistan’s interior minister said that investigations are underway in to the abduction.

This comes after MoFA on Saturday said that the daughter of the Afghan Ambassador to Islamabad, Pakistan, was abducted on Friday.

In a statement issued on Saturday, MoFA stated that Silsila Alikhil, the daughter of Najibullah Alikhil, was abducted for several hours and severely tortured by unknown individuals while on her way home.

“After being released from the kidnappers’ captivity, Ms. Alikhil is under medical care at the hospital,” the statement said.

MoFA strongly condemned the “heinous act” and expressed its deep concern over the safety and security of diplomats, their families, and staff members of the Afghan political and consular missions in Pakistan