Afghan Officials Visit Pakistan To Probe Abduction Of Envoy’s Daughter

ISLAMABAD — Officials from Afghanistan have arrived in Pakistan to investigate the abduction of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter, the country’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Aug. 2.

“The Afghan team has arrived for investigation of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter’s case,” the minister said at a press conference in Islamabad. 

“I have instructed the inspector general of police to hand over the (investigation results) based on facts and the truth to the Afghan investigation committee.” 

Ambassador Najibullah Alikhil’s 27-year-old daughter Silsila Alikhil was abducted briefly and tortured by unidentified persons last month while returning from a bakery in Blue Area before being dropped alongside a road with her hands and feet tied and a note which read “your turn is next” and “communist,” as per media reports.

Ahmed said that the police had completed an investigation into the matter and were fully prepared to answer any questions of the Afghan team.

The interior minister also commented on the murder case of Noor Mukadam, the daughter of a former Pakistani diplomat.

“Now I can’t get him [Noor’s killer] killed in a police encounter because the social media is so pervasive, the decision is of the courts, the testimonies are complete, and I hope he will be given the death sentence,” said Ahmed.

Earlier, the interior minister had said that the investigation conducted by the Pakistan authorities had found no evidence of abduction in the Afghan ambassador’s daughter’s abduction.

“According to our investigation, the incident involving the daughter of the Afghan ambassador is not a case of kidnapping,” said Ahmed. 

Ahmed drew criticism from the international circles due to the comment. Afghanistan criticized the minister for the “unprofessional comments.”

“While the investigation process has not been concluded and the perpetrators have not been arrested, the continuation of unilateral statements and unprofessional prejudgments will call the transparency of the investigation into question and result in increased mistrust,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a tweet on July 21.

Afghanistan had recalled the envoy and other diplomats from Pakistan after the abduction. 

“President Ashraf Ghani instructs its Ministry of Foreign Affairs to call back ambassador from Islamabad along with all senior diplomats because of abduction of an ambassador’s daughter. Our national psyche has been tortured,” tweeted Amrullah Saleh, the First Vice-President of Afghanistan.

Ahmed also accused India of distorting facts and hatching an international conspiracy. 

“Certain international powers do not want Pakistan and China’s friendship [to flourish], and hence, they perpetrated actions such as the Dasu [bus blast tragedy],” said Ahmed. 

(With inputs from ANI)

Edited by Amrita Das and Praveen Pramod Tewari



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