FO summons German ambassador over vandalism attack on diplomatic mission in Frankfurt

ISLAMABAD:In a rare move, the Foreign Office on Sunday summoned the German ambassador in Islamabad to lodge a strong protest over the vandalism of Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Frankfurt by Afghans.

The incident occurred on Saturday, when Afghan nationals demonstrated outside the Pakistan Consulate in Frankfurt. Some of the demonstrators, as shown in social media footage, mounted the mission’s walls, removing and attempting to burn the Pakistani flag.

According to accounts, eight to ten Afghan nationals stormed the Pakistani embassy and left after lowering the Pakistani flag. So yet, the German police have not arrested anyone.

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According to sources, the German ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office to discuss the incident. An official statement released by the Foreign Office stated that the protest had been filed with the German Embassy but did not specify if its envoy was summoned to the ministry.

The leaflet referred to demonstrators as a “gang of extremists” without specifying their nationality. “Pakistan strongly condemns yesterday’s attack by a gang of extremists on its consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, and the failure of the German authorities to protect the sanctity and security of the premises,” according to the statement.

The statement emphasized that under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, it was the host government’s obligation to maintain the integrity of consular facilities and the protection of diplomats.

“In yesterday’s incident, the security of Pakistan’s consulate in Frankfurt was breached, endangering the lives of its consular staff,” according to a statement. “We are conveying our strong protest to the German government,” according to the statement.

The Foreign Office asked the German government to take prompt action to meet its obligations under the Vienna Conventions and safeguard the security of Pakistan’s diplomatic missions and workers in Germany.

“We also urge the German authorities 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,” the group said.

The Pakistani embassy in Berlin denounced the “reprehensible vandalism act”. In a statement, the embassy said it was in contact with local authorities to ensure that such a situation would not occur again and that those guilty for the damage were prosecuted.

“We condemn the heinous vandalism of @pakinFrankfurt by miscreants on July 20, 2024. We are in contact with authorities to guarantee that such a situation does not occur again and that the perpetrators face legal penalties. “We ask our community to be patient and calm,” it stated in a social media statement.

According to certain international media sources, German authorities informed Pakistan’s embassy staff in Frankfurt of a thorough investigation into the event, noting that several suspects had been apprehended following the distribution of films on social media and that interrogations were still underway.

The motivation for the demonstration by Afghan nationals remained unclear. Some stated they gathered outside the Pakistani embassy to denounce the probable murder of Gilman Wazir, a poet and local political party leader.

The event exacerbated already poor relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The recent incident sparked a social media controversy, with many Pakistanis outraged that Afghans were doing this in a country that had been so generous to them.

Pakistan continues to house millions of Afghan refugees, many of whom fled their native country due to turmoil. Many Afghans have made fortunes in Pakistan, establishing successful enterprises and owning property there.