Kidnapped Afghan envoy to Pakistan released

The kidnapped Afghan Ambassador-designate to Pakistan, Abdul Khaliq Farahi, was released Monday evening after remaining in captivity for seven days. The driver of the Afghan envoy was killed by the kidnappers for resisting the kidnapping bid in posh Hayatabad Township in Peshawar, the capital city of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province.

The kidnapping of Farahi was second incident of its kind in the area. Earlier, Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan, Tariq Azizuddin, was kidnapped in February last from the adjoining Khyber Agency when he was travelling to Kabul..

Tariq returned safe and sound after spending a long time in the captivity of the kidnappers. Interestingly, like Tariq Azizuddin, who was only accompanied by his driver and gunman when picked up, Abdul Khaliq Farahi was also travelling along his driver only.

Farahi is regarded as a popular diplomat among the people of Pakistan. Once a supporter of the Afghan Mujahideen, fighting against the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Farahi was a member of the Nifaz-e-Islam Forum in Afghanistan, led by Pir Sayed Ahmad Gailani. He later joined Ittehad-e-Islami of Professor Seyaf.

The missing diplomat was appointed Afghanistan's consul general in Peshawar in April 2002 by the new Afghan government after the fall of the Taliban. Prior to that, he was serving as consul general in Quetta.

Farahi belongs to an influential family of the Farah province of Afghanistan. One of his cousins, Ghulam Nabi Farahi, is member of the Afghan parliament while another, Abdul Razzaq Farahi, is holding a key position in the foreign ministry. Farahi's loyal driver, Khalid, was also a resident of the Farah province.