Earlier all the diplomats had abandoned their residences and moved to the Embassy compound after the reported incidents of ‘harassment’ on the street of Kabul. PHOTO: http://pakembassykabul.com/
All diplomats and staffers in Pakistan’s mission in Kabul have left the embassy compound after nearly two weeks following a ‘relative’ improvement in their security, embassy sources told The Express Tribune on Thursday.
The Afghan capital’s environment had turned hostile for the Pakistani officials after senior Afghan leaders, including President Ashraf Ghani, issued anti-Pakistan statements and held Islamabad responsible for a spike in violence in the war-torn country.
“We all have now dispersed,” a Pakistani diplomatic source told The Express Tribune via phone from Kabul. In Islamabad, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah also confirmed that security for the Pakistani mission had been improved.
“Yes, in accordance with the assurance given to the Adviser to the PM on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz [by Afghan president during last week’s meeting in Kabul], Afghan authorities have taken measures to enhance security of our embassy personnel and premises,” the spokesman said at his weekly briefing in reply to a question.
An official said diplomats and dozens of staffers shifted to the embassy and lived with ambassador Syed Abrar Hussain after they faced security issues like suspected movement of cars, video recording of the mission’s vehicles and use of abusive language on the Kabul streets. “Kidnapping attempts had also been made by suspects during the routine movement of the embassy staffers,” he said.
Pakistan had taken serious note of the incidents and Sartaj Aziz had raised the issue with President Ashraf Ghani during his meeting in Kabul on September 5.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Vice President General Rashid Dostam and the Afghan spy agency had issued hostile and accusatory statements against Islamabad last month. These leaders had directly blamed Pakistan for the recent uptick in Taliban violence in Afghanistan, notwithstanding the fact Islamabad had condemned the militant attacks in the strongest terms.
Some Pakistani officials believe that the Afghan intelligence officials could be behind what they call an ‘organised campaign’ to harass everyone in Pakistani Embassy’s vehicles on the streets of Kabul.
Afghanistan is a non-family station for Pakistani diplomats while Afghan embassy in Islamabad is a family station and the number of Afghan diplomats and staff members is almost third-time more than Pakistani staff in Kabul and other Afghan cities, sources said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11th, 2015.
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