We reject insinuations contained in the statement issued by the Afghan Foreign Ministry regarding a market in Peshawar. It is deeply regrettable that a distorted and misleading account of the issue and related events has been presented.
It is pointed out that the market issue was between a private citizen and a purported bank from Afghanistan. The case was decided in favour of the private citizen in 1998. The recent enforcement action by the local administration occurred after legal remedies were exhausted by the Afghan party to this legal dispute. We reject any comments casting aspersions on the judicial process in Pakistan.
We further regret the announcement that the Consulate General of Afghanistan in Peshawar has been closed in protest at this point. We hope that this step would be immediately reviewed and that a private legal case would not be allowed to adversely affect the relations between the two brotherly countries.
Islamabad
12 October 2019
