Very shocking incident: India on abduction of Afghan envoy’s daughter in Islamabad

New Delhi, July 22

India on Thursday described the abduction of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter in Islamabad last week as a “very shocking” incident and said Pakistan’s denial of the victim’s account is “stooping to a new low”.

Silsila Alikhil, the 26-year-old daughter of Afghan Ambassador Najibullah Alikhil, was abducted and held for several hours by unidentified men in Islamabad last Friday.

“This is a very shocking incident,” Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing, while pointing out that it is a matter involving Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“However, since the Pakistan interior minister has dragged India into it, I would only like to say that even by their standards, Pakistan’s denial of the victim’s account is stooping to a new low,” he said.

Bagchi was replying to questions on the incident.

“As regards the security of the Indian High Commission and our personnel in Pakistan, I would not like to get into specific security-related measures,” he said.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid reiterated the police’s claim on Tuesday that Alikhil was not abducted even as he urged her to come forward and join the probe.

Two days after the incident, the Afghan government recalled its ambassador and senior diplomats from Islamabad over concerns relating to their safety and security. PTI