Pakistani diplomat shot dead in Afghanistan

A Pakistani diplomatic official was shot by unknown gunmen near his residence in the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, officials said, reports Reuters.

Pakistan Foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal issued a statement saying the Afghan charge d‘affaires in Islamabad had been summoned to protest the incident which consular officials said occurred in front of a staff guesthouse.

He condemned the killing and demanded increased security for Pakistani diplomatic staff from Afghan authorities.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been going through a stormy period with tensions over the latest U.S. strategic plan for the region and disputes over the Torkham border crossing, which Pakistan has closed periodically.

Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan, Omar Zakhilwal condemned the killing in a message on Twitter and said he had conveyed his government’s sympathies to the ministry of foreign affairs in Islamabad.

The incident comes around a week after the deputy governor of Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan was kidnapped near the Pakistani city of Peshawar although there was no immediate indication of any connection between the two incidents.