Islamabad: Pakistan’s top diplomat in Afghanistan survived an assassination attempt in an attack on the Pakistan embassy in Kabul on Friday.
Pakistan embassy’s compound in Kabul came under attack which targeted the Head of Mission, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) confirmed.
“By the grace of Allah Almighty, the Head of Mission is safe”, however, the embassy security guard Israr Mohammad has been critically injured in the attack while protecting the top diplomat, said the official statement.
Pakistani diplomats and embassy staff are in the process of vacating the embassy in Kabul and are preparing to leave the country after the deadly attack, local media reported.
Pakistan “strongly condemns” the assassination attempt and the attack on the embassy. Pakistan’s government demanded that the government of Afghanistan “must immediately hold thorough investigations into the 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.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the assassination attempt and demanded “immediate investigation and action against the perpetrators of this heinous act”. The prime minister later tweeted that he spoke to the diplomat and informed the public that Nizamani was safe. He assured “full support and assistance to him and his mission on all counts.”
PM Sharif conveyed prayers for the swift recovery of the brave security guard who took bullets to save the life of the Pakistani diplomat.
The attack comes days after Pakistan’s state minister for foreign affairs Hina Rabbani Khar led the Pakistani delegation to hold talks with Taliban leadership in Kabul.
In a separate incident on the same day, two people were injured in Kabul near the office of the Hezb-e-Islami party associated with Afghan politician Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. All the party leaders were safe. Multiple attackers were reportedly killed in the attack.
