Islamabad: The UN on Monday temporarily closed down all its offices in the Pakistani capital and the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi following a suicide attack on the office of the world body's food agency here that killed three people.
UN spokesperson Ishrat Rizvi said that all UN offices in Islamabad and Rawalpindi were being closed temporarily due to security concerns.
She did not specify how long the offices will remain close.
Rizvi condemned the suicide attack that killed an Iraqi national and two Pakistani women working for the World Food Programme (WFP).
She said the UN is holding negotiations with the Pakistan government on shifting all its offices in Islamabad to the heavily-guarded diplomatic enclave in the capital city. However, there was no timeframe for shifting these offices.
The UN had last year increased security at its offices across Pakistan and barred foreign employees from bringing in their families following reports of threats from the Taliban.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, October 05, 2009, 15:25