Pakistan’s Head of Mission Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani survived an assassination attempt during an attack on Pakistan Embassy in Kabul on Friday, officials said.
The Foreign Office (FO) said the embassy compound came under attack and while Nizamani remained safe, a security guard, Israr Mohammad, was “critically injured” in the attack while protecting the mission head.
Pakistan “strongly condemns” the assassination attempt against Nizamani and the attack on the embassy compound.
“The interim government of Afghanistan must immediately hold thorough investigations in this attack, apprehend the culprits, hold them to account, and take urgent measures to ensure the safety and security of Pakistani diplomatic personnel and citizens in Afghanistan,” the FO statement said.
Pakistan PM demands “immediate investigation”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the “dastardly assassination attempt” and demanded “immediate investigation and action against the perpetrators of this heinous act.”
He also spoke to the mission head and said that Nizamani was safe. “I expressed the solidarity of government and people with him while assuring full support and assistance to him and his mission on all counts. I also conveyed prayers for the swift recovery of the brave security guard,” the prime minister said.
He also conveyed prayed for the brave brave security guard, who took a bullet to save Nizamani’s life.
The attack comes days after Pakistan’s state minister for foreign affairs Hina Rabbani Khar led a delegation to Kabul to hold talks with Taliban leadership on issues of mutual interest.
Reaction from Afghanistan
The Afghan foreign ministry also condemned the incident. In a statement, Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said that security institutions would “seriously investigate” the incident and identity the perpetrators to punish them. He added that the Afghan government would not allow some “vested interest elements” to threaten the security of officials of diplomatic missions.
