Fazlullah Wahidi

VOA News
Ayaz Gul
February 12, 2016

ISLAMABAD—A visiting former Afghan governor was kidnapped Friday evening from a market in Islamabad, Pakistani officials say.

Police and Afghan embassy sources in the capital told VOA that Sayed Fazlullah Waheedi, who until recently served as governor of eastern Kunar and western Herat provinces of Afghanistan, was visiting Islamabad with his family.

Unknown men reportedly abducted Waheedi while he was on a shopping trip to the city’s famous Jinnah Super Market. No other details were immediately available.

Police say an investigation has been launched and a search is underway to find and retrieve the former Afghan official.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

As governor, Waheedi was extremely critical of Pakistan’s alleged interference in Afghanistan. After serving for years as governor of Kunar, Waheedi was named the governor of western Herat province by then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

But months ago, President Ashraf Ghani removed Waheedi from office as part of his efforts to improve provincial governance. Afghanistan’s Kunar province borders Pakistan, while Herat borders Iran.