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Journalism of Courage
ISLAMABAD, JULY 10: A bomb exploded in the Pakistan embassy in Kabul today morning but no one was injured, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported. The Pakistani embassy building in Kabul is located in the posh Charta Zay area of the city. Nobody has accepted responsibility so far. The reports from Kabul say that it did not injure people but had caused some damage to the building, the reports said.
Taliban officials in Islamabad said that it might be a subversive act on the part of some pro-Masood people living in Kabul. A senior Taliban diplomat said the attack on the embassy might be a revenge against Taliban’s advancement north of Kabul.
The explosion supports one view that the ratio of crimes was increasing in Kabul city. In the last couple of months several people have reported adultery, theft and murder cases with the Taliban administration despite severe punishments being given by Taliban to the criminals involved in such crimes. The AIP report, quoting sources in the Afghan capital, said the explosion occurred on the roof of the visa section of the embassy before it opened for business, shattering windows and destroying part of a wall.
Pakistan is one of three countries which have recognised the Taliban Government and is often accused by Afghan opposition groups of providing material assistance to the Taliban. The Pakistan embassy is the only functional embassy in Kabul, and that too is staffed sparsely with low level staff operating the offices.
Pakistan has condemned the explosion and said the perpetrators must be arrested and punished.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Foreign Office said the blast, which occurred at 6 am, extensively damaged the Consulate section of the embassy and other parts of the building.
Following the explosion, the Afghan Government promised to increase security at the embassy, according to the statement.
