A woman was arrested after she was caught trying to "sneak a hand grenade" into the Pakistani consulate in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Sunday, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

According to the press release, the Afghan woman had attempted to carry the grenade into the Pakistan Consulate General in her personal bag. She was arrested by police and is currently under investigation, being carried out to determine who was behind the "failed attack".

The consulate was closed following the incident, the FO spokesperson said.

"The Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul has urged the Afghan Foreign Office to provide foolproof security to its Consulate ... and to share the findings of its investigation at the earliest."

As per the press release, the consulate will remain closed for visa services till "foolproof security" is provided by authorities in Mazar-i-Sharif to prevent any untoward incident from taking place at the facility.

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