ISLAMABAD, July 18: The Afghan government has paid to Pakistan the equivalent of three million rupees in compensation for the armed attack on Pakistan embassy in Kabul early this month, Dawn learnt through well-placed diplomatic sources on Friday.

The compensation amount of 2.8 million Afghanis was paid on Thursday, exactly 10 days after the attack.

“On instructions of President Hamid Karzai a foreign ministry official delivered 2.8 million Afghanis to our ambassador in Kabul on Thursday,” sources in the ministry of foreign affairs confirmed.

The amount, all of which was delivered in cash, matches the figure quoted by Pakistan’s ambassador based on the estimate of the damage caused to the embassy.

Pakistan lodged a strong protest with the Afghan government after the attack on its embassy on July 8, and the Afghan charge d’affaires was summoned to the foreign office. Apart from demanding an apology, Pakistan also asked the Afghan government to pay for the damages inflicted and institute an inquiry into the failure of the security forces to prevent the armed attack.

In a swift damage-control move the same evening President Karzai invited Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul, denounced the attack, called President Musharraf for an apology, assured compensation and punishment of the culprits.

Pakistan is keen to reopen its embassy in Kabul shortly.

“We hope that it (embassy) will start functioning soon after the necessary repairs,” said a senior official at the foreign office.

As a result of the attack the embassy building, furniture, equipment and vehicles were damaged but no one was hurt.

While Pakistani diplomats privately acknowledge that there has been certain deterioration in the fragile Pakistan-Afghanistan relations following the July 8 incident and border skirmishes, they seem confident that this can be arrested.

“It is certainly not in our interest to see a downward trend in our relations with Afghanistan,” a senior official remarked.

“Pakistan’s desire to maintain friendly relations with Afghanistan remains unimpaired,” Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri had said right after the attack on Pakistan embassy.

“The President and other Pakistani leaders believe that a stable Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s own interest,” declared Mr Kasuri.