Islamabad: Afghanistan has expressed serious concern at the failure of Pakistani authorities in tracing its ambassador-designate Abdul Khaliq Farahi, who was kidnapped in Peshawar last month by gunmen who shot dead his driver.
"The Pakistan government should take concrete steps for the immediate and safe recovery of the ambassador-designate," Afghan foreign ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmad Baheen told reporters in Peshawar yesterday.
Baheen expressed satisfaction with the Pakistan government s assurances but urged security agencies to take steps for the recovery of Farahi. Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, who is due in Islamabad on Wednesday, will discuss the matter with Pakistani officials.
"The kidnapping of Farahi will be on top of the agenda during Spanta s visit to Islamabad. He will also discuss with his Pakistani counterpart a joint strategy to combat terrorism in the region," Baheen said.
Soon after Farahi s abduction on September 22,interior ministry chief Rehman Malik had said that the diplomat had been taken to Jamrud in the Khyber tribal region.
Baheen said the Afghan government had been discussing Farahi s kidnapping with senior officials in Islamabad and members of parliament to speed up efforts for his recovery.
"As far as the government s assurances are concerned, we are satisfied but Pakistani security organisations should take serious action for the recovery of the diplomat," he said.
The Afghan government had not been provided any information about the whereabouts of Farahi or the group involved in his kidnapping. A month had passed but the Afghan government was without any clues, Baheen added.
