Senate slams summoning of Afghan envoy by ISI

KABUL’s intelligence agency as a brazen violation of diplomatic norms,

The Meshrano Jirga’s action, also asked the government of President Ashraf Ghani to take concrete measures to deal with the issue.

On Monday Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) summoned Ambassador Lutfullah Atif Mashal and mistreated him — a move that angered the parliamentarians.

Mohiuddin Munsif, a public representative from Kapisa province, slammed the summoning of Mashal by ISI as a mockery of all diplomatic norms.

He said the summoning of a diplomat by the intelligence service of a country amounted to an insult and a violation of international principles.

Faisal Sami, deputy chairmen of the Meshrano Jirga, denounced Pakistan’s shabby treatment of the Afghan envoy. He tasked the international affairs commission of the house with investigating the incident.

Chairman Fazal Hadi Muslimyar also denounced the ISI action and grumbled that no intelligence service had the right to insult a diplomat.

While lashing out at the ISI action, he directed the Senate’s international affairs commission to immediately investigate the incident.

Referring to the closure of the Pakistan embassy, Muslimyar said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) should summon the Pakistani diplomat.

On Monday, the MoFA conveyed its deepest concern and reservations over the summoning of its Mashal by ISI and termed the move a violation of diplomatic norms.

In a statement, the MoFA asked the Pakistan government to base its diplomatic ties international conventions and diplomatic norms.

In reaction to Pakistan’s closure of its embassy, the MoFA said Kabul was fully committed to ensuring security of diplomats and was investigating the issue of security threats.

sa/mud

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