Afghan diplomat shot dead in Pakistan's Karachi city

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

An Afghan diplomat was shot dead inside the Afghan consulate general’s building in the southern port city of Karachi on Monday allegedly by a private security guard, according to police and local media.

Police chief Mushtaq Mahar told reporters Abdu Zaki, who worked as a third secretary at the Afghan consulate in the city, reportedly had an exchange of hot words with the suspect identified as Afghan national named Hayatullah, who then in an alleged fit of rage killed the diplomat.

The suspect was detained soon after, Mahar said.

"It was not an act of terrorism," the police chief said, according to local broadcaster 92 News.

"We have arrested the accused, and are also collecting evidence, including CCTV footage to further investigate the incident," he added.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry spoke with Afghan Ambassador Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal over the telephone to express Islamabad's condolences over the incident. Pakistan assured full assistance in carrying out the necessary investigations in the matter, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

This is not the first time Afghan diplomats have come under attack in Pakistan.

In January 2016, assailants attacked the residence of Afghan consulate official Humayun Yousafzai in northwestern Peshawar city with sub-machine guns. The incident came days after the Pakistani consulate in Afghan city of Jalalabad became the target of a gun-and-bomb attack.

In February 2016, an ex-Afghan Governor Wahidi was kidnapped from the Pakistani capital Islamabad. He was released two weeks later in northern Mardan city under mysterious circumstances.

In July 2013, Afghan diplomat Muhammad Hashim Ibrat was kidnapped in southwestern Balochistan province. According to a daily Dawn report, some Taliban leaders were set free from Afghan city of Kandahar in exchange for Ibrat's release weeks later in August 2013.

In September 2008, Consul-General Abdul Khaliq Farahi was kidnapped and his driver shot dead in Peshawar. He was set free two years later in eastern Afghanistan in November 2010.