Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has recalled all diplomats from neighboring Pakistan two days after the daughter of the country's ambassador was briefly abducted and "tortured."
Ghanti ordered the diplomats, including the ambassador, to return to Kabul "until the government of Pakistan punished the kidnappers...and until the security of the Afghan ambassador and diplomats in that country was guaranteed," his spokesman Waheed Omar said on July 18.
Silsila Alikhil was on her way home when she was seized by unknown assailants for several hours and "severely tortured," Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on July 17. It didn’t provide further details.
The Foreign Ministry said she had been hospitalized.
The ministry condemned the "heinous act" and urged the government of Pakistan “to identify and prosecute the perpetrators” as quickly as possible. It also called on Islamabad to provide protection for Afghan diplomats.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on July 17 that it has launched a “thorough investigation” into the “disturbing” incident. It said Pakistani officials have been in “close contact” with the Afghan envoy and his family, and beefed up their security.