KABUL: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan on Friday clarified that the country has not decided to suspend operations of its consulates general in the war-torn country, ARY NEWS reported.
Making the announcement in a message from his Twitter handle, Mansoor Ahmad Khan said that there is no decision to suspend operations of Pakistan’s Consulates General in Afghanistan.
There is no decision to suspend operations of Pakistan’s Consulates General in Afghanistan. In view of security situation staff strength has been minimized. Due to COVID-19 in-person visas are not being processed and only on-line visas are being issued @ForeignOfficePk @PakinAfg
— Mansoor Ahmad Khan (@ambmansoorkhan) August 12, 2021
He, however, said that in view of the security situation, staff strength has been minimized. “Due to COVID-19 in-person visas are not being processed and only [online] visas are being issued.”
It is pertinent to mention here that India has announced to close its consulates in Afghanistan in the wake of advance from the Taliban.
The country pulled out its diplomatic staff and others from its last consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif two days back, days after it shut down its Kandhar consulate.
India has evacuated around 50 diplomats and other staff members of the Kandahar consulate in Afghanistan in view of the “intense fighting near Kandahar city on July 11.
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The personnel at the consulate were flown to Delhi by an Air Force plane.
The Consulate General of India in Kandahar has been closed, due to the intense fighting near Kandahar city.
