Afghan consulate in Peshawar closed over harassment of diplomats

Afghanistan has closed its consulate in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar in protest over alleged harassment by Pakistani security forces.

 An official at the mission confirmed that consulate closed operations on Tuesday after vehicles of their diplomatic staff were stopped at a security checkpoint.

“We closed the consulate because of mistreatment of some diplomats in Peshawar this morning by security personnel,” Afghan sources said.

“The vehicles were stopped even though they had diplomatic registration numbers.”

Asked for comment, a senior security official in Peshawar claimed that a diplomat’s vehicle violated the specified diplomatic protocol. “And that’s why the car was stopped for a security check,” he argued, insisting that harassment of the consul-general who was inside the vehicle was never intended.

This comes as Pakistan has tightened security at its border with Afghanistan, a move it says will prevent fighters from entering.

The Torkham crossing is usually used by about 15,000 Afghans every day. But now it will be closed to anyone who does not have a visa and a valid passport.

The crossing is a way of making ends meet for many. It is usually packed with cargo-filled trucks, minibuses crammed with passengers – including the sick and elderly.