Afghan President Ashraf Ghani telephones Pakistani PM

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani telephones Pakistani PM
ISLAMABAD - Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Wednesday made a phone call to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to express condolences on behalf of the government and people of Afghanistan, on the assassination of Nayyer Iqbal Rana, a diplomatic official serving at Pakistan’s Consulate General in Jalalabad.

The prime minister conveyed to the Afghan president that people of Pakistan were deeply saddened at the killing of the Pakistani diplomatic official in Jalalabad, a PM’s Media Office press release said.

Thanking Afghan president for condolences on this tragic incident, he said Pakistan expected urgent steps by the Afghan government to apprehend the culprits of this heinous crime and bring them to the justice at the earliest possible.

He underlined the need for thorough investigation by the Afghan government to expose the forces behind this abhorrent act.
He emphasized the need to promote harmony and cooperation among the two countries through sustained engagement.

The prime minister said, to realize this objective, it was important to collectively work for deepening the conducive environment of relations between the two brotherly countries.
Appreciating the steps taken so far by the Afghan government to apprehend the perpetrators of this sad incident, he requested the Afghan president that the security of our nationals in Afghanistan including diplomats and diplomatic premises may be strengthened.

The Afghan president assured that the Afghanistan would undertake thorough investigation into the incident to bring the perpetrators to the justice and would take all possible measures to ensure safety and security of Pakistani diplomats and nationals working in Afghanistan.