Pak President condemns killing of Iranian consulate official

Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar on Saturday said that President Asif Ali Zardari through a statement has strongly condemned the killing of Iranian consulate employee in northwestern city of Peshawar.

Talking to IRNA, he said that the cowardly act was an attempt to damage Pak-Iran ties.

Abul Hassan Jafari, director of public relations at the consulate, was attacked by assailants on Thursday as he was on his way to work, police said. He died of severe injuries on the way to hospital.

President Asif Ali Zardari deplored the attack and directed the provincial authorities to investigate the matter so that the real culprits are apprehended.

The President prayed to Allah Almighty to shower his blessings on the departed soul and courage for his family to bear their loss.

The statement said that the relations between Pakistan and Iran were very strong and deep rooted and could not be impacted by such acts.

This is not the first time that an official at Iran's consulate in Peshawar comes under attack.

In November last year, gunmen had kidnapped Iranian commercial attaché in Peshawar, who has been missing since then.

The Iranian Ambassador in Islamabad Mashallah Shakeri condemned the attack and said security of the Iranian employees is responsibility of the Pakistani government.

Iran has urged Pakistan to tighten security measures in the violence-stricken region in which hundreds have been killed as a result of terrorist attacks and bombings.

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