- German diplomat assures all possible measures to ensure security of Pakistani diplomats and properties
- Dar urges German govt to arrest, and prosecute those involved in attack, responsible for lapses in security
- Kh Asif dubs Afghans ‘ungrateful’, Pakistan should review the decision to host Afghan nationals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday summoned Germany’s senior-most diplomat to register a “strong protest” over an attack “by a gang of extremists” a day earlier on the Pakistani consulate in Frankfurt.
A group of Afghan nationals pelted stones at the Pakistani consulate and even brought down its national flag on Saturday.
Reports indicate that the Afghan nationals were allowed to hold a peaceful protest by German authorities but they turned violent and threw stones at the consulate building, leading to heightened tensions.
A private news outlet reported that the attack has drawn significant international attention, raising concerns about the security of diplomatic installations.
German officials in Frankfurt have assured a thorough investigation and have arrested several individuals, who are currently under investigation following the video’s circulation.
The German police claimed to have detained two Afghan nationals and anticipate more arrests as they continue to identify additional protesters with the help of video footage.
Pakistan lodged a formal protest over the attack and emphasised the need for increased security measures to protect Pakistani diplomatic properties and personnel.
The senior German diplomat assured that all possible measures would be taken to ensure the security of Pakistani diplomats and properties.
Earlier in the day, the Foreign Office in a statement emphasized that, under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963, it is the host government’s responsibility to protect consular premises and ensure the security of diplomats. “We are conveying our strong protest to the German government and urge them to take immediate measures to fulfill their responsibilities under the Vienna Conventions,” the Foreign Office declared.
A video of the incident, showing Afghan nationals storming the consulate and reportedly attempting to burn the Pakistani flag, went viral on the internet.
The FO statement issued on Sunday condemned the attack, saying: “In yesterday’s incident, the security of Pakistan’s consulate in Frankfurt was breached, endangering the lives of its consular staff.
“We are conveying our strong protest to the German government,” it added, urging Berlin to take “immediate measures” to ensure the security of Pakistani diplomatic missions and staff in the country.
It also urged the local government to take immediate measures to “arrest and prosecute those involved in yesterday’s incident and hold to account those responsible for the lapses in security”.
It is to be noted the first time a section of Afghan nationals has exhibited hostility towards Pakistan at neutral venue.
In 2019, Pakistan’s victory over Afghanistan at the Asia Cup in Sharjah was marred by clashes between the two sets of fans.
Pakistan lodges strong protest with German over yesterday’s incident: DPM
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Sunday said that Pakistan had lodged a strong protest with the German Government in the wake of yesterday’s attack by a gang of extremists on Pakistan Consulate in Frankfurt.
The DPM, foreign minister, in a post on X account, said that yesterday a gang of extremists breached the premises of Pakistan’s consulate in Frankfurt, Germany endangering the lives of its consular staff.
Dar said the German government was urged to fulfill its responsibilities under the Vienna Conventions and ensure the security of the diplomatic missions and staff of Pakistan.
“We have also pressed them (German Govt) for taking immediate measures to arrest and prosecute those involved in yesterday’s incident and hold to account those responsible for the lapses in the security,” it was further added.
‘Afghans are ungrateful’
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif condemned the attack on Pakistani consulate in Germany’s Frankfurt by a group of Afghan nationals, describing Afghans as “ungrateful.”
“Pakistan is currently hosting nearly 5 million Afghan nationals. We fought a war for them against the Soviet Union. Should we continue to host them after the recent incident in Germany?, he posed a question while talking to a private TV channel.
He censured that Pakistan should review its decision to host Afghan nationals after an increasing trend of “abuses, statements against Pakistan’s integrity and protests” from the neighbouring country.
