By KUNA
Islamabad : Pakistan Wednesday said its missing diplomat was alive and that efforts were being made to trace him out.
“I am sure he is alive”, said Foreign office spokesman, Tariq Aziz-u-Din at his weekly press briefing here. However, he did not confirm whether he in under Taliban captivity. Pakistans ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin went missing along with his driver and two bodyguards on Monday while on his way to Kabul in the bordering Khyber tribal agency. Though, officially it has not been confirmed but he is feared to have been kidnapped by local Taliban militants.
A press report Tuesday quoting unnamed Taliban sources said that the ambassador has been kidnapped by Taliban militants and they have demanded release of recently detained Taliban commander Mullah Mansor Dadullah, in Baluchistan province. “I cannot confirm that Taliban are holding the envoy and had demanded that a senior militant commander captured recently, be released in exchange”, said the spokesman. He said no one has so far claimed responsibility for abduction and dismissed the report about swap for Mullah Mansoor Dadullah.
It may be mentioned here that the ambassador was kidnapped few hours after security forces in a fierce shootout arrested Mullah Dadullah along with his five accomplices.