Ex-Afghan governor goes missing in Pakistan capital

Officials say investigations are under way

ISLAMABAD: A former governor of Afghanistan’s Herat province has gone missing in Islamabad, police and Afghan embassy sources said on Friday.

Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi was out shopping with his 12-year-old grandson at the Rana market but did not return.



“The [Afghan] embassy has formally registered a case with the police,” a diplomatic source told The Express Tribune.

Wahidi arrived in Islamabad on February 7 along with his family to sort out some visa issues.

Acting SSP (Operations) Capt (retd) Ilyas Ahmed said Wahidi had stepped out at around 4:30 pm with his grandson Zabiullah before vanishing.

Diplomatic sources, however, claimed that Wahidi had been abducted by unidentified men who had arrived in two vehicles.

Following his disappearance, several officials from the Afghan embassy visited the Kohsar Police Station where a First Information Report of his abduction was registered on Zabiullah’s complaint.

IG Police Khalid Khattak confirmed Wahidi’s disappearance, adding that the concerned officials had been directed to conduct a thorough investigation.



“We will look into the matter from every angle and hope that Wahidi will be recovered soon.”

Afghanistan’s ambassador in Islamabad Dr Omar Zakhilwal expressed his concerns over the incident.

“I am in touch with the relevant key officials at the top and I have been given assurances that they would follow this on their end with utmost seriousness,” the Afghan envoy told The Express Tribune.

“I am positive that he would be located overnight and will soon be reunited with his family.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th,  2016.