KABUL – *Governor Hayatullah Hayat of Nangarhar has broken silence overallegations levelled by Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad. *
*He has rejected claims of interfering in Pakistani consulate activities inJalalabad City, saying that he has addressed visa applicants’ problemsoutside the diplomatic embassy.*
“In the light of national and international laws, we have the right to takeaction for people’s safety and removing corruption in outer premises of theconsulate. We will not interfere in the consulate’s internal affairs,”Hayat said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said discussions are underway toovercome the problem regarding the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad.
“We are in contact with Pakistan embassy in Kabul and Pakistan generalconsulate in Jalalabad and this problem will be solved in the near future,”said Sebghatullah Ahmadi, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Ministry ofAfghanistan.
Visa applicants in Jalalabad said they have come from different provincesto get Pakistan’s visas but the consulate is closed.
“I have a patient. I have left all my work and have come to the consulatebut it was closed yesterday and it is still closed today (Saturday),” saidPohand, a resident of Nangarhar.
A former Afghan diplomat in Syria and Lebanon, Mohammadullah Haidari, saidthe act by the Nangarhar governor is in violation of internationalconventions.
“This is a type of law breaking, even if there was disorder (outside theconsulate building) or if anything was underway there. The governor shouldhave taken action through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and should haverequested implementation his recommendations outside the Pakistaniconsulate in Jalalabad ,” said Haidari.
The embassy of Pakistan in Kabul announced Friday that it has closed itsconsulate in Jalalabad to protest local officials’ intervention inactivities of the diplomatic office.
“The Embassy wishes to inform that the Consulate General will remain closeduntil the security arrangements are complete to the satisfaction of theembassy,” the Pakistani embassy said in a press release on Friday.
The embassy said the decision has been made in reaction to provincialgovernor Hayatullah Hayat’s intervention in activities of the consulate.
“The Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul deeply regrets undue intervention ofGovernor Hayatullah Hayat in the functioning of the Consulate General ofthe Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Jalalabad is complete violation of theVienna Convention of the Consular Relations 1963.”