Iranian diplomat recovered 15 months after kidnapping
By IANSTuesday, March 30, 2010
ISLAMABAD - An Iranian diplomat kidnapped in Pakistan 15 months ago has been recovered after a successful operation by Iran’s intelligence agencies, Tehran’s envoy here said Tuesday.
Hashmat Atharzada, the commercial attache at the Iranian consulate at Peshawar, was recovered after a successful operation by Iranian intelligence officials, even though the safety of diplomats was the responsibility of the Pakistani government, Ambassador Mashaullah Shakiri Shakiri said at a press conference at the Iranian embassy here.
He also said the Pakistani intelligence agencies had extended full cooperation to their Iranian counterparts during the recovery operations, Online news agency reported.
According to the ambassador, Iranian rebel group Jandullah and its chief Abdul Malik Regee were not involved in the November 13, 2008, kidnapping. Balochistan-based Jandullah is blamed for a rash of terror attacks in Iran.
The ambassador, however, declined to give details of where Atharzada, who has since been sent home, was recovered from.
Atharzada was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen while he was on the way to office from his home in Peshawar.
They had opened fire at his vehicle and killed his driver before kidnapping him.
