An “assassination try” focused Pakistan’s pinnacle diplomat in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s high minister has stated, as tensions among the neighbouring international locations simmer.
The head of mission, Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, became the goal of an assault on its embassy compound, Pakistan’s overseas ministry stated on Friday, including that a Pakistani protection defend became significantly injured withinside the assault.
“The Interim Government of Afghanistan have to right away keep thorough investigations on this assault, recognize the culprits, keep them to account, and take pressing measures to make sure the protection and protection of Pakistani diplomatic employees and residents in Afghanistan,” it stated in a declaration.
“I strongly condemn the dastardly assassination try on Pakistan Head of Mission, Kabul,” Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated on Twitter.
The assault comes days after Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited Kabul to keep talks together along with her Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi amid border tensions among the 2 neighbours.
The attacker did not damage the Pakistani diplomat, however shot and wounded his protection defend, Sharif added. No on the spot affirmation of the safety defend’s circumstance became available.
“I call for on the spot investigation & motion towards perpetrators of this heinous act,” Sharif tweeted.
An embassy reputable stated a lone attacker “got here at the back of the duvet of homes and began out firing”.
“The ambassador and all of the different personnel are safe, however we aren’t going outdoor of the embassy constructing as a precaution,” he stated.
Nizamani arrived in Kabul final month to soak up the function at one of the few embassies that had remained operational at some point of the length after the Taliban took over the u . s . in August 2021.
Taliban condemnation
A spokesman for the Taliban’s ministry of overseas affairs denounced the assault.
“Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the tried capturing and failed assault at the Pakistani embassy in Kabul,” stated spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi on Twitter.
The capturing comes an afternoon after Pakistan’s authorities demanded Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers prevent “terrorist” assaults coming from their soil. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) armed group, additionally called the Pakistani Taliban, claimed duty for a suicide bombing in advance withinside the week n southwestern Pakistan that despatched a wave of surprise and anger throughout the nation.
The bombing killed 4 humans and seemed to be geared toward police shielding polio people withinside the area.
Pakistani Taliban is ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban, which seized strength final yr after the final US and NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan.
Pakistan blames the Afghan Taliban for now no longer doing sufficient to manipulate armed opponents sheltering of their u . s . who degree assaults throughout the border – a price denied with the aid of using the Taliban.
Abdul Syed, an professional on Pakistan and Afghanistan, stated that it seems that a brand new risk for Pakistan from its western neighbour is unexpectedly emerging.
“Contrary to Pakistan’s expectations, the Afghan soil is being utilized by Pakistani Taliban openly. Additionally, diverse Afghan Taliban leaders have expressed their reservations in the direction of Pakistan, blaming it for the ills of their u . s .,” Syed informed Al Jazeera.
“When the current cross-border flare-up took place in Pakistan’s southwestern province Balochistan, the Afghan Taliban best issued a symbolic declaration of condemnation. Yet on Afghan social media, the assault on Pakistan’s border forces became praised,” the Sweden-primarily based totally student stated.
Thwarted assault
A distinguished baby-kisser and strongman, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, additionally escaped unharmed in a separate assault at the equal day in Kabul, his workplace stated in a declaration. Security guards killed the 2 attackers as they attempted to go into a mosque in which Hekmatyar and his supporters had collected for Friday prayers, the declaration stated.
Hekmatyar later stated in a video message that the attackers have been suicide bombers disguised in women’s burqas who meant to blow him up.
“I guarantee my countrymen, a failed try took place right here with the aid of using the ones who’ve accomplished it normally however have failed,” Hekmatyar stated, including it became now no longer but clean who became at the back of the assault.
“It can not decrease our morale or our resistance … we can stand with our nation,” he stated.
No one right away claimed duty for both of the assaults in Kabul.
Hekmatyar, who battled US forces after the 2001 invasion and nursed a sour contention with different Afghan factions, agreed to put down palms in 2017 and be part of a peace cope with former President Ashraf Ghani.
Hekmatyar stayed in Kabul after the Taliban took strength final yr, whilst Ghani and different former leaders fled.
Hekmatyar based Hezb-i-Islami withinside the mid-Seventies as one of the foremost mujahideen businesses combating the Soviets withinside the 1980s. He then took component withinside the civil conflict that erupted after their withdrawal, clashing with the so-known as Northern Alliance, earlier than the Taliban first seized strength withinside the past due 1990s.
Several bombing and capturing assaults have taken region in Afghanistan in current months, a number of that have been claimed with the aid of using the ISIL (ISIS) group. A blast at a spiritual faculty on Wednesday in northern Afghanistan killed as a minimum 15 humans.
