Pakistani PM orders investigation into kidnapping of Afghan envoy's daughter

Undated photo of Silsila Alikhil, the daughter of Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan. Silsila was reportedly abducted while she was on her way home in Islamabad on Friday July 16, 2021. ( Photo courtesy: @NajibAlikhil/Twitter)
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Updated 18 July 2021
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Pakistani PM orders investigation into kidnapping of Afghan envoy's daughter

  • PM orders law enforcers to investigate the incident on "top priority" and apprehend the kidnappers within 48 hours
  • Silsila Alikhil was admitted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, is now in stable condition

ISLAMABAD/KABUL: Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered an investigation into the kidnapping of the daughter of Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, the interior ministry said on Saturday, after reports of her abduction and torture.

According to Afghan authorities, Silsila Alikhil, the daughter of Ambassador Najibullah Alikhil, was on her way home in Islamabad on Friday when she was "abducted for several hours, severely tortured by unknown individuals."

She was admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to utilize all resources to apprehend the persons involved in the kidnapping of the daughter of Afghan Ambassador in Islamabad," the interior minister's office said in a statement.

It added the PM ordered law enforcers to investigate the incident on "top priority" and "apprehend the culprits within 48 hours."




Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, Najibullah Alikhil, speaks to Arab News at the Afghan embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. (AN photo/File)

Islamabad police are investigating the case, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri confirmed earlier in the day, and said the security of the ambassador and his family had been increased while law enforcers are pursuing the suspects.

Dr. Waseem Khawaja, spokesperson of PIMS, admitted marks of torture were found on Silsila's body, but she is now out of danger.

"She was out of danger and referred to specialists for further examination," he told Arab News. "She was brought under police supervision and treated for bruises on wrists and feet along with marks of torture on the body."

"Work on her medico-legal report is underway."

Afghanistan has condemned the incident, while its foreign ministry expressed "deep concern over the safety and security of diplomats, their families, and staff members of the Afghan political and consular mission in Pakistan."

In 2008, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Khaliq Farahi, was captured in his car in Peshawar and his driver was killed on the spot. Farahi was freed two years later.


Five cops killed as gunmen ambush police van in northwestern Pakistan

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Five cops killed as gunmen ambush police van in northwestern Pakistan

  • Over a dozen “well-armed terrorists” ambushed police van in northwestern Karak district, say police
  • Pakistan’s northwestern KP province has witnessed a surge in militant attacks in recent months

PESHAWAR: Five cops were killed when a group of “terrorists” ambushed a police van in Pakistan’s northwestern Karak district on Tuesday, a police official confirmed. 

Karak police spokesperson Shaukat Khan said a heavy police reinforcement has been dispatched to the site of the attack in the district’s Gurguri area to collect evidence. 

“Over a dozen well-armed terrorists ambushed a police mobile van in the jurisdiction of Gurguri police station, an inaccessible area of the district, leaving five policemen martyred,” Khan told Arab News. 

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, similar attacks on police and security forces have been claimed in the past by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Pakistani Taliban. 

Khan identified the slain police officers as Shahid Iqbal, Arif, Sami Ullah, Safdar and the driver named Muhammad Ibrar.

“Evidence has been collected from the crime scene and a comprehensive search operation is now underway to apprehend the perpetrators,” Khan said. 

The Gurguri region is home to a large gas field, where exploration activities take place regularly. This often necessitates heightened security measures by law enforcement personnel.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant activities, particularly in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province bordering Afghanistan, in recent months. 

Earlier this month, one police constable was killed while five others were injured in a suicide blast that targeted a police vehicle in the Lakki Marwat district. 

Similarly, three police personnel were killed in November when militants attacked a checkpost in Hangu city. 

Pakistan has blamed Afghanistan for facilitating cross-border attacks against its security forces and turning a blind eye to the TTP’s activities on its soil. 

Afghanistan rejects the allegations and says it cannot be held responsible for Islamabad’s security lapses.