Herat: Hundreds of people demonstrated today in the hometown of Afghanistan s kidnapped ambassador-designate to Pakistan to demand greater efforts for his release, a local governor said.

They marched for Abdul Khaliq Farahi, the Afghan consul general abducted in Pakistan s border city of Peshawar on September 22 after his driver was shot in the head.

"Around 1,000 people, mostly influentials and elders, marched in a peaceful protest calling on both countries, the United Nations and Taliban to free Mr Farahi," said Roh-ul-Amin, governor for the southwestern town of Farah.

The demonstrators read a statement in front of the governor s office accusing both countries of not doing enough to release the Afghan diplomat, who had been promoted to ambassador but had yet to take up the job.

"In the past 17 days the Afghan and Pakistani governments have not taken any serious steps to free Farahi," a protester, Haji Shah Mahmoud, told AFP by telephone.



The attackers shot dead Farahi s driver and abducted the diplomat as he was travelling to work. There was no claim of responsibility.



Unconfirmed media reports quoted militants close to Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud saying they had abducted and then released Farahi, handing him to Pakistani intelligence authorities. Pakistan did not confirm the claims.
Source : PTI