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.


Pakistan’s deputy PM speaks with Iran, Türkiye after UN rights vote on Tehran

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Pakistan’s deputy PM speaks with Iran, Türkiye after UN rights vote on Tehran

  • Pakistan voted against UN rights council resolution seeking to expand scrutiny of Iran
  • Dar discusses regional issues with Türkiye’s Hakan Fidan after World Economic Forum

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar held separate phone calls on Saturday with the foreign ministers of Iran and Türkiye, highlighting Islamabad’s growing diplomatic engagement on regional crises after backing Tehran at the United Nations Human Rights Council and amid wider discussions on Middle East stability.

Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, spoke with Iran’s Seyed Abbas Araghchi after Islamabad voted against a resolution at the UN rights council in Geneva that sought to expand international scrutiny of Iran following a crackdown on anti-government protests that began last month and continued for several days.

“Foreign Minister Araghchi thanked DPM / FM for his strong support and Pakistan’s position at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva,” the foreign office said in a statement after the phone call.

While the resolution was adopted, Iran rejected it as “politicized” and described the council’s action as interference in its internal affairs.

Dar later spoke by phone with Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, with the two leaders reviewing developments following the World Economic Forum in Davos and agreeing to remain in close contact on key regional and international matters, the foreign office said.

Pakistan and Türkiye have increasingly coordinated diplomatic positions on regional issues, including Middle East tensions, as Islamabad positions itself as an active interlocutor in multilateral forums addressing conflict and humanitarian crises.

Iran’s foreign minister also conveyed appreciation to Pakistan’s prime minister, government and people for what he described as Islamabad’s principled stance, the statement added.