KABUL – Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul said Sunday (Nov 3) it was indefinitelyclosing its consular office in the Afghan capital due to security reasons,amid mounting tensions between the neighbouring countries.
Closure of the visa section will come as a huge blow for many Afghans,hundreds of whom apply daily for permits to travel to Pakistan where theyseek medical treatment, goods and university educations.
A message shared on WhatsApp by an embassy spokesman said the consularsection would be closed as of Monday “until further intimation”.
The spokesman told AFP that the consular section typically processes about1,500 visa applications a day.
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the Afghan charge d’affaireshad been summoned to “convey serious concerns over the safety and securityof the diplomatic personnel of the embassy of Pakistan, Kabul, and itssub-missions.”
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In a statement, the ministry said embassy staff were being harassed.
“They were obstructed on the road and the embassy vehicles were also hit bymotorcycles while going towards the embassy,” the statement read. – APP/AFP
