Kidnapping of Afghan provincial deputy governor from Pakistan turns out to be farce

By
Mehmood Jan Babar
|
Deputy Governor of Kunar Mohammad Nabi Ahmadi. — Geo News screengrab

PESHAWAR: The kidnapping of deputy governor of Afghanistan's Kunar province from Peshawar has turned out to be a farce, official sources said Monday, after his brother uncovered the conspiracy to malign Pakistan.

Reports emerged in October 2017 that Mohammad Nabi, deputy governor of Afghanistan's Kunar province, had gone missing from Peshawar and the Afghan embassy had contacted the Pakistani Foreign Office regarding the incident.

The Afghan embassy had also informed the FO that the official was in Pakistan for medical treatment and the embassy had been unable to contact him.

Official sources informed Geo News that the deputy governor and his family played a farce to defame Pakistan.

They said the official entered Pakistan via Torkham border on October 27, 2017, but illegally returned to Afghanistan without having his name entered.

Later, the deputy governor dramatized his kidnapping during treatment at a clinic in Peshawar, sources said.

Pakistani officials solved the matter, in which the statement by Mohammad Nabi's brother proved to be quite helpful.

Following his arrest, Habibullah, brother of the deputy governor, told Pakistani officials that Mohammad Nabi entered into Pakistani territory on visa, but illegally crossed the border and returned to Afghanistan after a while.

Habibullah said that Mohammad Nabi during his disappearance remained in hiding at the residences of two of his brothers-in-law in Kabul.

Pakistan has informed the Afghan government that the 'missing' official was actually hiding in Kabul, sources added.