KABUL: Pakistan’s Head of Mission in Kabul, Obaidur Rehman Nizamani, survived an assassination attempt on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MOFA) confirmed.
In a statement, the ministry said there was an attack on the embassy compound in Kabul targeting the head of mission, but “by the grace of God, the head of mission is safe”.
However, a Pakistani security guard guarding soldier Israr Muhammad Nizamani was seriously injured in the attack, the Foreign Office said.
The statement said that the government of Pakistan strongly condemns the assassination and attack on the embassy and demands an immediate investigation into the incident by the Afghan government.
🔊: PR NO. 5️⃣4️⃣5️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) December 2, 2022
Press Release
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“The interim government of Afghanistan should immediately conduct a thorough investigation into the attack, arrest the perpetrators, hold them accountable and take immediate steps to ensure the safety of Pakistani diplomatic staff and citizens in Afghanistan,” the statement added. should do.”
According to JEE News, a security guard was shot three times in the chest while rescuing the head of mission during the attack and was later shifted to a medical center. Sources say that the attack took place when Nizamani was walking.
When the incident took place, there was no activity at the Pakistani embassy due to a weekly holiday. Sources said that the head of the mission and other officials are being called back to Pakistan temporarily.
Pakistan refused to close Embassy.
In response to a media query, MOFA spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that there is no plan to close the embassy or recall diplomats from Kabul.
The spokesman said that Pakistan is in touch with the Afghan government and security measures are being increased to protect Pakistani diplomatic staff and missions in Afghanistan.
Later in the day, Pakistan summoned Afghan Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Shukaib to the Foreign Ministry to express its deep concern and outrage over the attack on Ambassador Nizamani, the Foreign Office said.
The statement added that the Additional Secretary for Afghanistan and West Asia expressed Pakistan’s deep concern over the serious incident in which the head of the mission was unhurt.
The Afghan official was told that it was his country’s responsibility to ensure that Pakistan’s diplomatic missions and personnel remained safe, the Foreign Office said.
Pakistani officials told Shukaib that “…this incident was a very serious security lapse.”
He demanded that all necessary steps be taken to ensure the security of the officers and staff working in the diplomatic premises, Pakistani mission in Kabul and consulates in Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif.
The Afghan Governor described the attack as very sad and said that this attack was carried out by the common enemies of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
He also said that the security of Pakistani diplomatic missions has already been tightened and assured that the Afghan authorities will leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice.
