After two weeks, Pakistani diplomats peek out of Kabul embassy

Dozens of diplomatic and embassy staff were confined to embassy building after facing harassment, kidnapping attempts

After being confined to the embassy building in Kabul for nearly two weeks due to security concerns, Pakistani diplomatic staff finally moved back to their residences on Thursday after their security ‘relatively’ improved, sources in embassy told The Express Tribune.

Earlier, all  the diplomats had abandoned their residences and moved to the Embassy compound after incidents of ‘harassment’ on the streets of Kabul following the anti-Pakistan statements by some of the senior Afghan leaders, including President Ashraf Ghani.

Read: Pakistan embassy staff in Kabul limits movement

“We all have now moved back,” a Pakistani diplomatic source told The Express Tribune by the phone from Kabul.

According to an official, diplomats and dozens of embassy staffers had moved into the embassy and were living with Pakistan’s envoy to Kabul Syed Abrar Hussain after they noticed movements of suspicious cars, video surveillance of the mission’s vehicles. Some diplomats had also faced abusive language.

He further alleged that attempts were made to kidnap some of the staffers during their routine movements.

The Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had raised this the with the Afghan president during his recent visit to Kabul. Afghan authorities had assured him that necessary measures will be taken for security of the embassy and its personnel.

Read: Pakistan agrees with Afghanistan to stop blame game over attacks

Confirming the news, the Foreign Office Spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said the security for the Pakistani mission has now improved.

“Yes, in accordance with the assurance given to the Adviser, Afghan authorities have taken measures to enhance the security of our Embassy personnel and premises,” the spokesman said during a weekly press briefing in Islamabad.

Although Afghan embassy in Islamabad is a family station, Afghanistan remains a non-family station for Pakistani diplomats. The number of Afghan diplomats and staffers in Islamabad is almost third-time more than Pakistani staff in Kabul and other Afghan cities as Pakistan has just 20 diplomatic staff in Kabul compared to 55 in Afghan embassy in Islamabad, sources said.

The statements of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Vice President General Rashid Dostam and the Afghan spy agency blaming for recent uptick in Taliban violence in Afghanistan forced the Pakistani diplomats to restrict their movements.