Pakistan called the attack “disturbing” and said that security at the residence of the Afghan ambassador in Islamabad has been reinforced. (File/AFP)

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• Silsila Alikhil was admitted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, now in stable condition
• Afghanistan expresses “deep concern” over the safety of its diplomats and their families in Pakistan

SAIMA SHABBIR AND SAYED SALAHUDDINJuly 17, 2021 

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police are investigating the kidnapping of the daughter of Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan, the foreign office said on Saturday, after reports of her abduction and torture.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry said earlier that Silsila Alikhil, the daughter of Ambassador Najibullah Alikhil, was on her way home in Islamabad on Friday when she was “abducted for several hours, severely tortured by unknown individuals.”

She was admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

“As reported to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad, yesterday, the daughter of the Ambassador was kidnapped while riding a rented vehicle. The Islamabad Police launched a thorough investigation,” Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement.

He added that the security of the ambassador and his family had been increased and that law enforcement are pursuing the suspects.

Dr. Waseem Khawaja, a PIMS spokesperson, confirmed that signs of torture were found on Silsila’s body, but she is now out of danger.

“She was out of danger and referred to specialists for further examination,” he told Arab News. “She was brought under police supervision and treated for bruises on her wrists and feet along with marks of torture on the body.

“Work on her medico-legal report is underway.”

Afghanistan has condemned the incident, while its Foreign Ministry expressed “deep concern over the safety and security of diplomats, their families, and staff members of the Afghan political and consular mission in Pakistan.”

In 2008, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Khaliq Farahi, was captured in his car in Peshawar, during which his driver was killed. Farahi was freed two years later.

source Pakistan police investigate kidnapping of Afghan envoy’s daughter (arabnews.com)