What we know about the abduction of the daughter of Afghan envoy to Pakistan

The daughter of Afghanistan’s envoy to Pakistan was briefly abducted and ‘severely tortured’ by unknown assailants. This incident took place as more than 10,000 Pakistani militants have joined the Taliban in their offensive against the Ashraf Ghani-led Afghanistan government. 

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Ambassador Najib Alikhil’s daughter, Silsila, was on her way home on Friday, the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. After being released from the kidnappers’ captivity, the victim was under medical care at the hospital, the ministry added, urging authorities to conduct an investigation. 

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She was treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences state hospital. A medical examination report said she was admitted with swelling and rope marks on the wrists and ankles. The 26-year-old was held for more than five hours. The report also noted she had some swelling in the brain’s rear occipital region.

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Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said it strongly condemns this heinous act and expresses its deep concern over the safety and security of diplomats, their families, and staff members of the Afghan political and consular missions in Pakistan. Afghan authorities also summoned Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul to lodge a formal complaint. 

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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he wanted the matter to be treated as a top priority and the culprits caught within 48 hours, according to Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s tweet.