Former governor of Afghanistan's Herat province kidnapped in Islamabad

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped former governor of Afghanistan's western Herat province, Sayed Fazalullah Wahidi, in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, on Friday, police and the embassy sources said.

Wahidi, who had also served as governor of eastern Kunar, during the government of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, had arrived in Islamabad along with his family to get the UK visas, diplomatic sources said.

"The embassy has formally registered a case with the police," a diplomatic source said. Several embassy officials visited the Kohsar Police Station to register the First Information Report.

Earlier a police official said that Wahidi was staying at a guest house at Islamabad's F-7 sector and was "kidnapped" by some unidentified people near Rana Market.

No one has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Sources said that Wahidi had gone to a restaurant along with his 12-year-old grandson when he was "kidnapped."

The embassy sources said that the unidentified men had arrived in two vehicles and took away the former governor while leaving, pushing the child.

A police officer said that they are investigating motives behind the incident.

Wahidi was considered as an influential governor as he was very close to former President Karzai and he also served as acting governor for months during Ghani's government.

The Afghan ambassador in Islamabad, Omar Zakhilwal, was serious concerned over the incident and had been in touch with Pakistani authorities, an embassy source said. Enditem