Afghan National Security Adviser (NSA) Hanif Atmar on Tuesday telephoned his Pakistan counterpart, Nasser Janjua, to condole the death of Nayyar Iqbal, a staffer of the Pakistani consulate in Afghanistan who was killed a day earlier.
Iqbal, an assistant to the consul general in Afghanistan's Jalalabad city, had been gunned down by two assailants riding a motorbike on Monday night. The incident was condemned by Islamabad, and the Foreign Office (FO) had summoned the Afghan chargé d'affaires to lodge a protest the same evening.
During his telephone call with Janjua, Atmar said that Afghan security officials will undertake a thorough investigation into the Iqbal's murder; adding that once complete, the investigation's findings will be shared with Pakistan.
Atmar added that all those involved in the murder will be brought to justice.
Funeral prayers offered
Earlier on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif attended Iqbal's funeral prayers, held at the CDA ground in Islamabad's G7 sector.
The prayers were also attended by FO spokesperson Mohammad Faisal and Chief of Protocol Sahibzada Khan, in addition to other officials from the Foreign Ministry.
After the funeral, the FO spokesperson said that Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan will work with Afghan officials to investigate Iqbal's murder.
He also said that the FO had demanded increased security for its consular staff and employees working in Afghanistan.
Rana Naser Iqbal, the brother of the deceased, complained that Pakistan's diplomatic staff serving in the neighbouring country are not safe.
He also said that the Afghan government had not provided any assistance in transferring his brother's body to Islamabad.
Iqbal's murder comes a few months after two Pakistani diplomats working at the same consulate in Jalalabad were kidnapped, but later freed.
