-Interior Minister rubbishes claims citing RAW, NDS agenda
-Says the case to be solved soon
-FIR registered against culprits, drivers interrogated
-Kabul recalls Ambassador to Islamabad
-Pakistan terms Afghanistan’s decision to recall Ambassador as unfortunate and regrettable
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed on Sunday said that the incident involving the daughter of the ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan Najibullah Alikhel “was not an abduction” at all.
“This is an international conspiracy. An agenda of RAW and NDS,” he said while speaking to media at Islamkabad.
The Minister said case of alleged torture of Alikhel’s daughter had been registered at Kohsar Police Station in Islamabad and hopefully to be resolved within 72 hours.
Addressing a press conference here, the minister shared details of the case and said an First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under sections 365 (Kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Rashid said the police registered an FIR about the kidnapping incident at 2:00 am (in the morning) on the statement of daughter of Afghan Ambassador.
The minister said CCTV footage obtained by the police showed that the girl left her home on foot and arrived a market from where she hired two taxis one after the other.
He said the girl hired a taxi to Khadda market (situated in sector G-7) and from there hired another taxi for a mall in Rawalpindi.
The point is being probed by the police as how the girl reached to Daman-e-Koh from Rawalpindi, he said adding that they have interviewed the third taxi driver as well. The minister said authorities have also interviewed the driver of the third taxi that the ambassador’s daughter commuted, adding that she could have gone straight to F-6 but instead chosen to go to F-9 area in Islamabad.
After the assault, the minister said, the girl first went to the Ali Medical Centre and then the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital. The minister said authorities would probe as to how the ambassador’s daughter arrived from Rawalpindi to Daman-e-Koh and hopefully by evening Sunday, more missing links of the case could be put together to provide a clear picture.
Sheikh Rashid said police were investigating the case on “top priority” following directions from the Prime Minister. “In the next 72 hours, we will God willing solve the case”, he added.
“We will present the entire, true picture in front of the world,” he said adding that Pakistan’s importance in the region has increased manifold due to PM Khan’s popular foreign policy moves.
“After PM Khan’s ‘absolutely not’ stance received immense popularity both in Pakistan and abroad, India has fully unleashed its malicious propaganda against Pakistan,” he added.
The minister said India is misguiding people about this case and playing the role of an “influence agent” against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan on Sunday said it was recalling its ambassador to Islamabad and all senior diplomats over “security threats” after the top envoy’s daughter was briefly kidnapped in the Pakistani capital this week.
“Following the abduction of the daughter of Afghan ambassador in Pakistan, the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan have recalled the Afghan envoy and other senior diplomats from Islamabad back to Kabul until all the security threats are removed,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry said, demanding the arrest and prosecution of kidnappers.
The daughter of Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan was briefly “kidnapped” by unknown assailants who left her with injuries and rope marks and Pakistan authorities have said they are investigating the matter.
Following the negative move from Kabul, Islamabad said the decision by the Government of Afghanistan to recall its Ambassador and senior diplomats from Pakistan is unfortunate and regrettable.
The reported abduction and assault of Ambassador’s daughter in Islamabad is being investigated and followed-up at the highest level on the instructions of the Prime Minister. The security of the Ambassador, his family and personnel of the Embassy and Consulates of Afghanistan in Pakistan has been further beefed up.
The Foreign Secretary met the Ambassador of Afghanistan today, highlighted all the steps taken by the Government in this context, and re-assured him of full cooperation. We hope that the Government of Afghanistan would reconsider its decision.
