Tension in Afghanistan, visa service in Kabul suspended

KABUL: Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul said it was indefinitely closing its consular office in the Afghan capital due to security reasons, amid mounting tensions between the neighbouring countries, AFP reported

Closure of the visa section will come as a huge blow for many Afghans, hundreds of whom apply daily for permits to travel to Pakistan where they seek medical treatment, goods and university educations.

A message shared on WhatsApp by an embassy spokesperson said the consular section would be closed as of Monday “until further intimation”.

The spokesperson told AFP that the consular section typically processes about 1,500 visa applications a day.

Foreign Ministry summoned the Afghan charge d’affaires on Sunday to “convey serious concerns over the safety and security of the diplomatic personnel of the embassy of Pakistan, Kabul, and its sub-missions.”

In a statement, the ministry said embassy staff were being harassed.

“They were obstructed on the road and the embassy vehicles were also hit by motorcycles while going towards the embassy,” the statement read.

Protests outside the Pakistani embassy are common, sometimes triggered by people unhappy about visa wait times or security while standing in long queues.

Tensions have soured further in recent days amid clashes along the border in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Kunar.

Six Pakistani troops were wounded on October 27 and 28 in unprovoked mortar and heavy weapon firing by Afghan soldiers.

Pakistani consular services remain open in Herat, Jalalabad and Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the embassy spokesperson, who recommended that applicants travel to Jalalabad if they needed a visa urgently.