Pakistan says its two diplomats went missing in Afghanistan

By APD writer Muhammad Sohail

ISLAMABAD, June 18 (APD) -- Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday said that the country’s two diplomats appointed in a Consulate General in Afghanistan went missing since Friday.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO), two diplomats based in the Consulate General of Pakistan in Jalalabad, an eastern city of Afghanistan, went missing on June 16 when they were traveling to Pakistan by road.

FO Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria's office said Islamabad is in constant contact with Afghan authorities, and the matter of the diplomats’ safety and recovery at the earliest has been raised with the relevant officials.

“Pakistan has requested the Afghan government that all efforts may be made to ensure early recovery of our officials and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice,” said the statement.

Identities of the missing diplomats have not been revealed yet.

The FO added that Afghanistan is cooperating in the efforts to probe the incident and recover the two missing diplomats.

“Three distinct investigating groups have been constituted to ensure the safe recovery of the officials,” the statement added.

The FO did not speculate who may be behind the disappearances, but various Afghan militant groups have targeted diplomats in the past.

However, no group or militant organization has claimed responsibility about the missing personnel yet.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)