Pakistan’s head of mission survives assassination bid in Kabul
Pakistan’s Head of Mission to Kabul Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani on Friday survived an assassination bid, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) confirmed.
“I demand immediate investigation and action against perpetrators of this heinous act,” PM Shehbaz tweeted.
In a statement sharing details of the attack, the Foreign Office stated that the embassy’s compound in Kabul came under attack targeting the head of mission and informed about his safety.
Although Pakistan does not officially recognise Afghanistan’s Taliban government, it kept its embassy open even as the hardline Islamists took over in August last year, and maintains a full diplomatic mission.
Pakistan has complicated relations with the Taliban, with Islamabad long accused of supporting the Islamists even while backing the US-led invasion of Afghanistan that toppled them following the 9/11 attacks.
An embassy official told AFP a lone attacker “came behind the cover of houses and started firing”.
“The ambassador and all the other staff are safe, but we are not going outside of the embassy building as a precaution,” he said.
Taliban security officials were not immediately available for comment.
