PESHAWAR: The Afghan consulate in Peshawar, which was closed in protest after raid by police on its property about two months ago, will reopen on Friday (today).

First Secretary Faridoon Khalil said in a brief statement issued here on Thursday that the consulate would start functioning from Friday (today). He said that visa section would start issuing visas.

The consulate was shut down in protest on October 11 when district administration along with police removed Afghanistan’s national flag from a disputed property in the city.

The district administration had evicted 180 Afghan shopkeepers from the market and removed Afghanistan national flag after a contempt of court petition was filed in the Peshawar High Court by Syed Intekhab Haider Abidi, the market’s owner, seeking implementation of an earlier judgment in his favour.

The administration later handed over possession of the shops to Mr Abidi. The property, including a market place, had been in possession of the Afghan government for the last several decades.

The Afghan government had termed the police action gross violation of diplomatic norms.

Sources said that the Afghan government was reopening its consulate after receiving assurance from Islamabad that the property dispute would be resolved through negotiations.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2019