Two Pakistan consulate officials missing in Afghanistan: Foreign Office

By
Mona Khan
|

ISLAMABAD: Two officials working at Pakistan's Consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan have reportedly gone missing on their journey to Pakistan.

In a press statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the officials have been missing since June 16 while they were commuting to Pakistan by road.

The officials, identified as Jan Khan and Muhammad Ejaz, have neither crossed over to Pakistan nor are they reachable on their mobile phones, according to the Foreign Office (FO).

The government is in constant touch with Afghanistan authorities over the matter, the FO informed.  

“The Afghan authorities have informed that all efforts are in hand to probe the incident and three distinct investigating groups have been constituted to ensure safe recovery of the officials,” reads the press statement.

Pakistan has requested the Afghan Government to ensure the early recovery of the officials and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice, stated the FO.

Soldiers of Pakistan Army stationed on the border of Afghanistan-Pakistan. Photo: AFP

Jalalabad, the provincial capital of Nangarhar province, is a busy trading hub about 70 kilometres from the main border crossing with Pakistan, from which landlocked Afghanistan imports much of its goods.

The province is home to various militant groups, including Pakistani and Afghan Taliban. In recent years, Daesh has also established a presence in Nangarhar.


Additional input from Reuters