Pakistan

Twitter account of Pakistan consulate in Kandhar restored after being ‘hacked’

Unsolicited tweets have been deleted, says mission in a tweet

News Desk December 02, 2022

A limited number of users around the world who tweet in English can now add a "Tip Jar" feature to their profiles. PHOTO: AFP

The official Twitter handle of consulate general of Pakistan in Afghanistan’s Kandahar city was hacked on Friday, the diplomatic mission said.

“[The] official account of Consulate General of Pakistan Kandahar was hacked a while ago which was immediately recovered. Unsolicited tweets have been deleted,” it said in a tweet from the official account.

Official account of Consulate General of Pakistan Kandahar was hacked a while ago which was immediately recovered. Unsolicited tweets have been deleted. The Consulate offers sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. The matter is being reported to Twitter.
— Consulate General of Pakistan, Kandahar (@PakinKandahar) December 2, 2022

The clarification came after the consulate’s official Twitter account announced earlier today that Pakistan’s mission in Kandhar will remain closed for next two days in protest against Taliban-led government.

“Pakistan Govt urges local Taliban Militia to take strong action against TTP Militants who have bloods of innocent Pakistanis on their hands and not provide safe heaven [haven] in Pashtuns dominated areas,” read the now-deleted tweet posted allegedly by hackers.

Also read: Gunmen attack Pakistan Embassy in Kabul

“This maybe a first step in severing diplomatic ties between Pakistan & Local Taliban Militia government,” read another deleted Twitter post.

The Pakistani mission also issued an apology saying, “The Consulate offers sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. The matter is being reported to Twitter.”

The development coincided with gun attack on Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul wherein chargé d'affaires Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani survived an attack, embassy sources told The Express Tribune.

They said that Nizamani's guard got critically injured during the attack which took place in Kart-e-Parwan area of the Afghan capital where the embassy is located.