Iranian Diplomat Dawn Editorial

Rigi, was finally arrested with Pakistani cooperation after Iran put a great deal of pressure on Islamabad.

The release of Heshmatollah Attarzadeh, an Iranian diplomat working as commercial attaché in Iran's consulate in Peshawar, is shrouded in mystery, but the early details of the diplomat's ordeal suggest that Pakistan has been embarrassed by the incident. After Mr Attarzadeh was kidnapped in the Hayatabad neigbourhood of Peshawar in November 2008, he was taken to Orakzai Agency by his initial captors, believed to be members of the TTP. From there he is believed to have been moved to North Waziristan, and at some point handed over to the Afghan Taliban. The latter captors demanded a ransom and the release of some prisoners, perhaps Jundallah members (the group active in Sistan-Balochistan). Initially the negotiations were believed to have been conducted by Pakistan, but after several months of talks that led nowhere, the Iranians are believed to have intervened directly. Iranian officials have thus far remained tight-lipped about their role in Mr Attarzadeh's release other than claiming that it was an ‘Iranian operation' (though it is likely a ransom was paid). It is not known for certain where the diplomat was released, with some even suggesting Sistan-Balochistan as the venue.

Whatever the details, the incident has embarrassed Pakistan. The Iranian ambassador to Pakistan, Mashallah Shakeri, has bluntly stated that Mr Attarzadeh "was to be recovered by Pakistan" and that it "was conveyed to Pakistan that his safe recovery is the responsibility of Pakistan". Iran is believed to be especially unhappy that authorities here allegedly could not prevent the removal of Mr Attarzadeh from Pakistani territory. The latest diplomatic flap comes only weeks since the leader of Jundallah, Abdolmalek Rigi, was finally arrested with Pakistani cooperation after Iran put a great deal of pressure on Islamabad. More generally, the safety of diplomats in Pakistan is increasingly a cause for concern. The Afghan ambassador-designate to Pakistan was kidnapped in September 2008 and still has not been recovered. In March, a plot to kidnap the Jordanian ambassador to Pakistan was revealed and two militants arrested. Tellingly, in all cases the road leads to North Waziristan.

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