Ghani phones Abbasi, condoles killing of consulate staffer

'Pakistan expects urgent steps be taken by Afghan govt to apprehend culprits of this heinous crime

ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday phoned Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to express condolences on behalf of the government and the people of Afghanistan on the assassination of Nayyer Iqbal Rana, a diplomatic official serving at Pakistan’s Consulate General in Jalalabad.

According to a PM Office statement, the prime minister conveyed to the Afghan president that the people of Pakistan were deeply saddened at the killing of the Pakistani diplomatic official in Jalalabad.

“While thanking the Afghan president for condolences on this tragic incident, the PM stated that Pakistan expected that urgent steps would be taken by the Afghan government to apprehend the culprits of this heinous crime and bring them to the justice at the earliest possible,” it said.

Abbasi underscored the need for thorough investigation by the Afghan government to expose the forces behind this abhorrent act.

The PM also emphasised the need to promote harmony and cooperation among the two countries through sustained engagement.
“To realise this objective, it was important that our two governments should collectively work for deepening the conducive environment of relations between the two brotherly countries.”



Abbasi appreciated the steps taken so far by the Afghan government to apprehend the perpetrators of Pakistani diplomatic officials killing and “requested the Afghan President that the security of our nationals in Afghanistan including diplomats and diplomatic premises may be strengthened”.

The Afghan president assured that the Afghanistan would undertake a thorough investigation into the incident to bring the perpetrators to justice and would take all possible measures to ensure safety and security of Pakistani diplomats and nationals working in Afghanistan.