ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday condemned the attack on its Frankfurt consulate by “extremist groups” the previous day and called on German authorities to arrest those involved in the incident.
Footage shared on social media showed a large group of angry people carrying Afghan flags climbing over a fence to enter the Pakistani consulate in Frankfurt and remove the flag. Pakistani authorities claimed it was Afghan nationals who had hurled stones at the consulate during the protests.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the militant attack on its consulate in Frankfurt, Germany and the failure by the German authorities to protect the sanctity and security of the consulate premises,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement.
“We also call on the German authorities to take immediate steps to arrest and prosecute those involved in the incident and to punish those responsible for security failures,” the spokesman said.
This is not the first time Afghans have displayed hostility towards Pakistan at a neutral venue: Pakistan’s win over Afghanistan in the 2019 Asia Cup in Sharjah was marred by clashes between cricket fans from the two countries.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been gradually rising. Since November 2022, Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorist attacks after a fragile ceasefire between Islamabad and the banned militant group, the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), collapsed. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring TTP militants; however, Kabul denies the charges.
Relations between the two countries also took a hit last year when Pakistan launched a campaign to expel Afghan nationals.
Footage shared on social media showed a large group of angry people carrying Afghan flags climbing over a fence to enter the Pakistani consulate in Frankfurt and remove the flag. Pakistani authorities claimed it was Afghan nationals who had hurled stones at the consulate during the protests.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the militant attack on its consulate in Frankfurt, Germany and the failure by the German authorities to protect the sanctity and security of the consulate premises,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement.
“We also call on the German authorities to take immediate steps to arrest and prosecute those involved in the incident and to punish those responsible for security failures,” the spokesman said.
This is not the first time Afghans have displayed hostility towards Pakistan at a neutral venue: Pakistan’s win over Afghanistan in the 2019 Asia Cup in Sharjah was marred by clashes between cricket fans from the two countries.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been gradually rising. Since November 2022, Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorist attacks after a fragile ceasefire between Islamabad and the banned militant group, the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), collapsed. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring TTP militants; however, Kabul denies the charges.
Relations between the two countries also took a hit last year when Pakistan launched a campaign to expel Afghan nationals.
