Daughter of Afghan envoy kidnapped and injured in Pakistan
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Afghanistan government says Silsila Alikhil was kidnapped in Islamabad, Pakistan and ‘severely tortured’ by unknown assailants.
The daughter of Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan was briefly kidnapped by unknown assailants who left her with injuries and rope marks, officials and a hospital report have said.
Silsila Alikhil, the daughter of Ambassador Najib Alikhil, was on her way home on Friday when she was kidnapped and “severely tortured”, the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday, without giving more details of the abduction in Islamabad.
“After being released from the kidnappers’ captivity, Ms Alikhil is under medical care at the hospital,” the statement added, urging an investigation and protection for Afghan diplomats.
A medical examination report, shared on social media and confirmed by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences state hospital where Alikhil was treated, said she was admitted with swelling and rope marks on the wrists and ankles.
The report gave her age as 26, said she was held for more than five hours and also noted she had some swelling in the brain’s rear occipital region.
Amid widespread consternation over the case in both nations, Afghan authorities summoned Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul to lodge a formal complaint.
In a statement, Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns this heinous act and expresses its deep concern over the safety and security of diplomats, their families, and staff members of the Afghan political and consular missions in Pakistan”.
‘Disturbing incident’
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the Afghan embassy had informed it Alikhil was assaulted while riding in a rented vehicle.
Police were investigating the “disturbing incident” and security had been tightened for the ambassador and his family, it said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted the matter treated as top priority and the culprits caught within 48 hours, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said.
Neighbours Pakistan and Afghanistan have long had frosty ties.
Kabul accuses Pakistan of allowing safe havens for Taliban fighters, while Islamabad accuses Kabul of allowing the armed group to use their territory to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
Both deny the charges.
Daughter of Afghan ambassador kidnapped, tortured in Pakistan
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The daughter of Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan was kidnapped in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, held for several hours and “severely tortured,” officials of both countries said Saturday.
According to the Afghan Foreign Ministry, Silsila Alikhail, Ambassador Najib Alikhail’s daughter, was abducted by persons unknown on her way home on Friday.
“After being released from the kidnappers’ clutches, Alikhail is now under medical care at the hospital,” a ministry statement said.
Strongly condemning the “heinous act,” the Afghan government expressed its deepest concerns over the safety and security of diplomats, their families, and staff members connected to Afghan political and consular missions in Pakistan.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on the Government of Pakistan to take the necessary and immediate action to ensure the full security of the Afghan Embassy and Consulate and the immunity of the country’s diplomats and their families in accordance with international treaties and commitments,” the statement said.
Afghanistan also urged Pakistan to swiftly identify and prosecute the perpetrators of the kidnapping.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed the incident, saying that police in Islamabad launched an investigation immediately after it was reported.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant security authorities are closely in contact with the ambassador and his family and extending full support in the matter,” said Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, foreign ministry spokesperson.
The government has beefed up security for the ambassador and his family, and law enforcement agencies are trying to find and apprehend the culprits to be brought to justice, he added.
Chaudhri reiterated that the safety of diplomatic missions, including the diplomats and their families, is of utmost importance. Such incidents cannot and will not be tolerated, he said.
Relations between Pakistan and its neighbor Afghanistan remain tense, with Kabul accusing Islamabad of arming and supporting Taliban insurgents. Pakistan has denied the charges.
Daughter of Afghan envoy to Pakistan hurt in kidnapping
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ISLAMABAD/KABUL, July 17 (Reuters) - The daughter of Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan was briefly kidnapped by unknown assailants who left her with injuries and rope marks, officials and a hospital report said on Saturday.
Silsila Alikhil was going home on Friday in the Pakistani capital Islamabad when she was seized for several hours and “severely tortured”, Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said.
“After being released from the kidnappers’ captivity, Ms Alikhil is under medical care at the hospital,” it added, urging an investigation and protection for Afghan diplomats.
A medical examination report, shared on social media and confirmed by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences state hospital where Alikhil was treated, said she was admitted with swelling and rope marks on the wrists and ankles.
The report gave her age as 26, said she was held for more than five hours and also noted she had some swelling in the brain’s rear occipital region.
Amid widespread consternation over the case in both nations, Afghan authorities summoned Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul to lodge a formal complaint.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the Afghan embassy had informed it Alikhil was assaulted while riding in a rented vehicle. Police were investigating the “disturbing incident” and security had been tightened for the ambassador and his family, it said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted the matter treated as top priority and the culprits caught within 48 hours, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said.
Neighbours Pakistan and Afghanistan have long had frosty ties. Kabul accuses Pakistan of allowing safe havens for Taliban insurgents, while Islamabad accuses Kabul of allowing militants to use their territory to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
Both deny the charges.
Reporting by Umar Farooq; Additional reporting by Abdul Qadir Sediqi in Kabul; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne
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