September 30, 2008	Tuesday	Ramazan 29, 2008

PESHAWAR, Sept 29: Afghan ambassador-designate Abdul Khaliq Farahi, who was kidnapped last week, was set free on Monday.

A security official told Dawn that soon after his release, the Afghan diplomat was taken to a western mission in the provincial capital.

Senior officials, however, declined to comment on the release of Mr Farahi who was kidnapped from Peshawar’s Hayatabad Township on Sept 22. His driver was shot dead.

NWFP Police Chief Malik Naveed said he had no official intimation about the release of the Afghan diplomat who had been serving as consul general in Peshawar since 2001.

An official in the Afghan consulate also expressed ignorance about the release of Mr Farahi and said he had no information.

Reuters adds: An intelligence agency official who declined to be identified said: “He has been recovered.”

He declined to give details of how Mr Farahi was freed.

A government official said the Afghan diplomat had been taken to Islamabad.

No group claimed responsibility for abducting the Afghan diplomat and there were no reports of demands for his release although militants were suspected.