Pakistan's Head of Mission in Kabul Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani is currently in the country, a Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson confirmed Monday, just days after the foreign diplomat escaped an attempt on his life at the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul.
Nizamani is in Pakistan on a prescheduled visit for consultations, the FO said.
The diplomat had remained unhurt in a terror attack on Pakistan’s embassy in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Friday.
In a statement after the attack, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “The compound of the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul came under attack today targeting Head of Mission Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani.”
She maintained that by the grace of Allah Almighty, the head of the mission is safe, however, a Pakistani security guard Sepoy Israr Mohammad was injured while protecting the senior diplomat.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Arif Alvi and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had all sought an investigation into the assassination attempt.
On Saturday, Pakistan had summoned the Afghan charge d’affaires to convey deep concern and anguish over the attack.
The United States, meanwhile, also called for a "full and transparent" investigation into the attack.
“We offer our sympathies and wish a quick recovery to those affected by the violence,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price had said in a daily press conference.
Moreover, the UN Security Council also condemned the attack in the "strongest terms" and called for ensuring the safety of diplomatic and consular premises.
The 15-member council wished a speedy and full recovery to the security guard who was critically injured in the “reprehensible” attack.
It also underscored the need for bringing the perpetrators of the attack to justice. “The members of the Security Council called on all relevant parties to respect and ensure the safety and security of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel of United Nations Member States,” it said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq had said that the Pakistan government will provide resources to further enhance the security of its diplomats following the assassination attempt at the envoy.
Taking to Twitter, Sadiq said that Pakistani security guard Sepoy Israr Mohammad, who sustained injuries in an attack for saving the mission head in Kabul, was taken to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in a special plane.
Moreover, Ambassador Sadiq said that Nizamani and his team are working in an "extraordinarily challenging situation," stating that the security of members is to be prioritised the most.
"First and foremost, the Afghan Interim Government will need to beef up the security of our Embassy and its personnel," he added.