KARACHI: Pakistan has lodged a strong protest to the Afghan Government against the latter`s action in expelling Mr Abdul Rahman Quraishi, the compounder-incharge of the dispensary of the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul. ... But this is not a stray act of unfriendliness of the Afghan Government. Recently they refused visas to two Pakistani officials who were posted to our Embassy at Kabul with the result that they have been unable to take up their posts.

Instead of realising the unreasonableness of their demand for recall of the compounder, the Afghan Government in their reply to Karachi`s protest have hurled further insults by accusing the compounder of `acting in contravention of the internallaws of Afghanistan` and stating that his presence in Afghanistan was `not considered necessary`.

Strongly repudiating the allegation that Mr Quraishi indulged in any unlawful activity, the spokesman of the Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Relations Ministry said ... on Friday [May 26] that the very vague phraseology of the charges of `contravention of internal laws of Afghanistan` showed that it could have no basis in fact. Dawn staff correspondent