Pakistani diplomatic staffer shot dead in Afghanistan's Jalalabad

ISLAMABAD/KABUL: A Pakistani diplomatic staffer was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Monday, confirmed the Foreign Office of Pakistan (FO). 

Unknown assailants shot Rana Nayyar outside his residence in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, family sources told Geo News. 

The FO condemned the killing of the staffer in the eastern city of the war-ravaged country and demanded increased security from Afghan authorities for its diplomatics staff and missions in the country. 

The unidentified assailants were riding motorbikes, diplomatic sources say.

"When he went to the hospital he was pronounced dead," said Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan Zahid Nasrullah Khan.

Nangarhar governor spokesman Attaullah Khogyani confirmed the deadly attack.

"Police have launched an investigation into the incident. No arrests have been made so far," Khogyani told AFP. 

Khan said he had "absolutely no idea" why Nayyar, a father of five, was targeted.

Rana Nayyar had been working as an assistant at the Pakistan Consulate in Jalalabad, Dr. Mohammad Faisal, a spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Office said, condemning the "gruesome murder."

The foreign ministry statement added that Rana had finished "his three-year tenure in Jalalabad and was due to return to Headquarters".

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif also condemned the attack and asked the Afghan authorities to provide security to Pakistani diplomats in the country. 

Pakistan's foreign secretary also summoned Afghan charge d’affaires to the Foreign Office and lodged a strong protest with him over the killing, Faisal said.

The Afghan charge d’affaires was also handed a protest note, he added.

The incident comes a few months after two Pakistani diplomats working at the same consulate in Jalalabad were kidnapped and later freed. 

Earlier in January 2016, Daesh claimed a suicide attack on the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad, with a gunbattle which lasted several hours. 

Afghan officials had said all three attackers and at least seven members of the security forces died during the attack

The attack, which came amid efforts to restart the stalled peace process with the Taliban, resembled similar assaults on diplomatic missions in the country.