Pak's Denial of Kidnapping of Afghan Envoy's Daughter a New Low, Says Indian EAM

Silsila Alikhil was allegedly abducted on her way home and tortured by unknown persons on 16 July.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. 

(Photo: Screenshot/YouTube)

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, 22 July, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said that Pakistan's denial of the kidnapping of an Afghan Ambassador's daughter last week is "stooping to a new low even by its standards," ANI reported.

"This is, of course, a very shocking incident. It involves two other countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and usually we wouldn't comment on it. However, since the interior minister of Pakistan has dragged India into it, I would like to say that even by their standards, Pakistan's denial of the victim's account is stooping to a new low."

Arindam Bagchi | Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs

As per a statement issued by Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassador Najibullah Alikhil's daughter Silsila was abducted on her way home and tortured by unknown persons on 16 July.

Following the incident, the government of Afghanistan summoned back its top envoy and diplomats, ANI reported.

'No Evidence of Abduction': Pakistan

Since then, while Pakistan has expressed the need for a probe in the matter, its interior minister Sheikh Ahmed Rasheed has claimed that the investigation suggests that there was no abduction.

Addressing a press meet in Rawalpindi, Rasheed said that authorities found no evidence of abduction in the incident concerning the ambassador's daughter, adding that Afghanistan and India are "distorting" facts around the incident, Pakistan news paper Dawn reported.

He further stated that the incident was part of a series of efforts to defame and destabilise Pakistan, ANI reported.

Reacting to the allegations, the Afghan government has criticised his remarks by calling them "unprofessional".

The administration stressed that "prejudgments" will result in increase the mistrust in the already-strained relationship of the two nations.

(With inputs from ANI)