ISLAMABAD: Russia’s embassy in Pakistan said Tuesday it is attempting to verify reports that one of its citizens was abducted in the South Asian nation’s troubled northwest.
The embassy provided no further details in a post on the social media platform X.
The announcement by the embassy came days after a small militant group headed by commander Gul Bahadur said it captured a Russian national in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The group released a photo showing a man sitting with two bearded men. Local police said they have not been approached by the Russian Embassy about the reported abduction.
Insurgents often attack Pakistani security forces and foreigners, especially Chinese working on Chinese-funded projects across the country, but Russians have not previously been targeted.
Most Russians who travel to Pakistan are climbers who scale mountains in the scenic north.
Russian embassy says verifying reports of citizen’s abduction in Pakistan’s northwest
https://arab.news/rkwy6
Russian embassy says verifying reports of citizen’s abduction in Pakistan’s northwest
- Statement comes after a militant group claimed it abducted a Russian national in Dera Ismail Khan
- Local police say they have not been approached by the Russian embassy about the reported abduction
Pakistan, UK discuss regional security, cross-border attacks as senior official visits Islamabad
- British envoy for Afghanistan Richard Lindsay’s visit comes at a time of a surge in militancy in Pakistan’s border regions
- Pakistani diplomat says both sides reviewed broader security challenges, emphasized coordination to address ‘shared concerns’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and British officials have discussed regional security challenges and cross-border attacks during talks in Islamabad, a Pakistani diplomat said on Tuesday, during a visit of the United Kingdom’s Afghanistan envoy, Richard Lindsay, to the Pakistani capital.
Pakistan and the UK regularly cooperate on counterterrorism and security, with a focus on intelligence-sharing to combat militant activity. Lindsay’s visit comes at a time of a rise in militancy in Pakistan’s western provinces, which border Afghanistan.
Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, said the discussions in Islamabad focused on the regional security situation, particularly the urgent challenge posed by cross-border attacks.
“We also exchanged views on the latest regional security developments and broader security challenges,” he said on X. “We emphasized the importance of continued cooperation and coordination to address shared concerns and promote regional stability.”
Islamabad frequently accuses Afghanistan of allowing its soil and India of backing militant groups, such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny this.
In recent years, Pakistan and the UK have engaged with each other on counterterrorism and cross-border crimes as part of bilateral cooperation.
Both sides held the second round of the Pakistan-UK Counter Terrorism Dialogue in London in February last year, reviewing global and regional threats and exchanging best practices. Over the years, armed forces of both countries have also maintained close cooperation, particularly in counterterrorism efforts and professional military training.
