A member of Pakistan's diplomat corps serving at the consulate in Afghanistan's Jalalabad city was shot dead on Monday evening, DawnNews reported.

Two assailants riding a motorbike opened fire on Nayyar Iqbal as he bought goods from a shop, Pakistan's Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zahid Nasrullah Khan, said.

Iqbal hailed from Sialkot and was working in the consulate's visa section.

Attaullah Khogyani, the spokesman for the provincial governor in Nangarhar, confirmed his murder.

“Police have launched an investigation into the incident. No arrests have been made so far,” Khogyani said.

Iqbal was an assistant to the consul general in Jalalabad, the capital of the restive Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan.

Khan said he had “absolutely no idea” why Iqbal, a father of five, was targeted.

The staffer's body has been shifted to a hospital in Jalalabad for a postmortem examination.

Islamabad condemned the incident and demanded increased security for consular staff and employees working in Afghanistan, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Faisal said.

The Foreign Office also summoned the Afghan chargé d'affaires to register an official protest.

The incident comes a few months after two Pakistani diplomats working at the same consulate in Jalalabad were kidnapped and later freed.