Pakistan embassy in Kabul closes visa section amid tensions

KABUL: Pakistan's embassy in Kabul said on 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.

Advertisement

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

Advertisement

"They were obstructed on the road and the embassy vehicles were also hit by motorcycles while going towards the embassy," the statement read.

Protests outside the Pakistani embassy are common, sometimes triggered by people unhappy about visa wait times or security while standing in long queues.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, both Islamic republics, have long been fraught, with Afghans blaming Islamabad for any number of woes including allegedly supporting the Taliban.

Pakistan deRead More – Source