KABUL - Pakistan's embassy in Kabul said Sunday (Nov 3) it was indefinitely closing 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 they seek medical treatment, goods and university educations.
A message shared on WhatsApp by an embassy spokesman said the consular section would be closed as of Monday "until further intimation".
The spokesman told AFP that the consular section typically processes about 1,500 visa applications a day.
In Islamabad, Pakistan's foreign ministry said the Afghan charge d'affaires had been summoned to "convey serious concerns over the safety and security of the diplomatic personnel of the embassy of Pakistan, Kabul, and its sub-missions."
In a statement, the ministry said embassy staff were being harassed.
"They were obstructed on the road and the embassy vehicles were also hit by motorcycles while going towards the embassy," the statement read. - APP/AFP