F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan diplomats posted in Kabul have come under a severe mental stress and agony in the face of poor security arrangements, bomb blasts and a spate of suicide attacks. Iran has provided facility of enjoying one week holidays in their country after every three weeks of duty in Kabul to provide them relief from immense mental stress and strain.
Owing to lack of this facility Pakistani staffers and diplomats working in Pakistan embassy in Kabul are suffering from anguish and mental ailments.
Pakistan embassy owns 200 kanal land in the area of Purwan at Kabul. Its old historical building was raced to ground due to intense bombardment and attack in 1995-96. The then Pakistani ambassador in Kabul Muhammad Sadiq had got reconstructed building of Pakistan embassy on the previous venue. However no safety compound was build around 200 kanal land and even no safe refuges could be constructed for 70 staffers of Pakistan embassy.
Residences for Pakistan embassy staffers have been hired in the area of chancellery, 6 kilometers away from Pakistan embassy building. Thousands dollars rent in being paid against these buildings monthly.
Every day Pakistan embassy staffers move to their duty place by reciting Kalima Tayyaba. People from Tajik community live on the way from residences to embassy who are against Pakistan. The locals were involved in torching and ransacking Pakistani embassy.
Kabul station is a dangerous place, therefore, the staffers are not allowed to live with their families therein. Therefore, most of staffers of Pakistan embassy fall ill.
The other countries have fixed stay tenure of their embassy staffers in Kabul for two years and on the other hand Pakistan embassy staffers have to spend five years during their tenure of service in Kabul.
Some senior diplomats of Pakistan embassy in Kabul on their return to Pakistan told daily Morning Mail on the condition of anonymity that Pakistani staffers have not been provided any bullet proof vehicles nor has any security arrangement is in place for them in Kabul. Travelling expenses from Kabul to Pakistan are paid to them. If we apply for leave after two moths then it is discretion of Pakistan ambassador to grant leave or otherwise.
The diplomatic staffers appointed in the embassies of other countries get financial benefits due to their appointment in embassies but we have to run two homes one in Pakistan and the second in Kabul within our stipulated salary. Government is always out to save money and on the other hand our lives are put at stake. There is acute shortage of staff in Pakistan embassy in Kabul.
When the spokesman of Foreign Office Dr. Muhammad Faisal contacted, he stated you should send questions and explained that answers of these questions get though concerned directorate and later inform you. Then a Whats-up and SMS that consist of six questions sent to him but got no answer despite passing of 24 hours.
