Afghan Ambassador threatens to shut Peshawar Consulate

Kabul/Peshawar, Oct 11 (IANS) Afghanistans Ambassador to Pakistan, Shukrullah Atif Mashal on Friday threatened to shut down the country's Consulate in Peshawar because of the alleged removal of the Afghan flag by Pakistani police.The statement on Friday said that on Thursday night police entered the Firdous market in Peshawar city and closed it, which, Mashal claims, is the sole property of the Afghan government, TOLO News reported."Over the past few days the Pakistani police have entered the area several times without informing the Afghan embassy, and they have removed Afghanistan's flag, against diplomatic convention and neighbourly manners," Mashal said in the statement.According to reports, the ownership of the property is disputed, but the Afghan Embassy maintains that the market property belongs to the Afghan government.
--IANS ksk