Pakistani Authorities Closed Another Taleban Consulate In Peshawar

The Pakistani authorities closed a second out of the three Taliban consulates in Peshawar, the administrative centre of the north-western border province of Pakistan populated mostly by Pashtuns. The closure was announced by press secretary of the Pakistani president Rashid Kureshi. A week ago the Taliban office was closed in Karachi, the main port city of the country on the Arabian sea. The Taliban embassy in Islamabad and general consulate in Quetta, the capital of Beluchistan province, are still functioning. At the same time, the Teheran radio reported on Monday that the government of Iran had decided to re-open its general consulate in the Afghan city of Herat, the capital of the Herat province in the western part of the country bordering on Iran. Iranian diplomats believe that the consulate will begin giving visas in several months only since its building was greatly damaged during the disturbances last May when 10 Iranian diplomats died as a result of the explosion of the bomb placed by unknown terrorists. Teheran also plans to open its embassy in Kabul any time soon. Iran comes out for the UN plan which provides for the creation of a government in Afghanistan which will include representatives of all political parties, groups and ethnic groups, save for the Taliban leaders.