Afghanistan Times
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AT-KABUL: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday summoned Sayed Abrar Hussain, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kabul, in connection to the arrest and harassment of four Afghan diplomats by police in Peshawar.
According to reports, the four diplomats were arrested among several Afghan nationals by police in scattered localities of University Town in Peshawar last week. The diplomats were among 28 Afghan nationals who were arrested by University Town Police Station as part of a crackdown against Afghan refugees there.
The MoFA said in a said that the Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai raised strong protest of the Afghan government and Kabul’s concern to Pakistan’s ambassador over the arrest of Afghan diplomats by the Pakistani police.
He termed it as blatant violation of principles of diplomatic relations. Karzai prodded the ambassador to share the strong protest and concern of Afghanistan with his country’s authorities and ask them to thoroughly investigate the reasons.
He added that the cooperation and relations between the two countries has entered a new phase and it should not be strained by such acts.
Karzai also expressed Kabul’s concern over harassment of the Afghan refugees by the police in Pakistan and wanted it to be stopped.
He also said that until the visit of the Afghan high-ranking delegation to Pakistan and their negotiation with the Pakistani authorities aimed at phased return of the Afghan refugees, there is an urgent need to halt the process of forced expulsion.
The Pakistani ambassador reassured that he would take up the issue with his country’s authorities to take necessary measures.
