—- FO says Pakistan confirming veracity of reports about IS-K claims
—- Adds Islamabad in consultation with Afghan authorities independently
STAFF REPORT
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday that it was “verifying the veracity of reports” regarding the militant Islamic State group claiming responsibility for the attack on Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul two days earlier.
On Friday, the embassy in Kabul came under attack with Chargé d’Affaires (CdA) to Afghanistan Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani targeted. Nizamani was unscathed but his guard was critically wounded.
The Islamic State group’s Khorasan Chapter (IS-K) on Sunday claimed responsibility for the attack, confirming that it was targeting the Pakistani envoy.
The statement, posted on social media in Arabic, said two armed assailants attacked the Pakistani envoy and his guards with “medium weapons and snipers”, while they were in the embassy’s courtyard.
Responding to the claims, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan had “seen reports that IS-KP has accepted responsibility for the terrorist attack. Independently and in consultation with the Afghan authorities, we are verifying the veracity of these reports” .
“This notwithstanding, the terrorist attack is yet another reminder of the threat that terrorism poses to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region. We must act resolutely with all our collective might to defeat this menace,” she said. For its part, Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to combat terrorism, she added.
The FO, in a statement released on Friday had confirmed that the target of the attack was Nizamani, who remained unhurt. The FO had “strongly condemned” the attack, but added the embassy would continue to function normally and there were no plans to withdraw diplomats from Kabul. The Afghan chargé d’affaires was also summoned to the foreign ministry to formally protest over the attack.
According to an official, Nizamani was walking in Pakistan mission’s lawn in Kabul’s Kart-i-Parwan neighbourhood when terrorists shot at him. The shots hit a security guard, identified as Sepoy Israr Mohammad, who was “critically injured” while attempting to save Nizamani, according to the FO.
Mohammad, who was hit by two bullets, was shifted to a hospital and later moved to Peshawar via helicopter. Nizamani has been in Kabul for less than a month since he took over the charge as head of mission, replacing former ambassador Mansoor Ahmed Khan on November 4.
