Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Sunday summoned Germany’s ambassador to Islamabad, Alfred Grannas, and conveyed its concerns about an attack on its Frankfurt consulate by what it said was a “gang of extremists.”
Footage on social media from Saturday showed a large crowd of angry people carrying Afghanistan’s national flag, jumping the fence into the Pakistan consulate in Frankfurt and taking down Pakistan’s flag. As per various Pakistani media reports, the people were reportedly Afghan nationals who pelted the consulate with stones during their protest.
“We have conveyed our serious concerns [over the attack on Pakistan’s consulate in Frankfurt],” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement.
The spokesperson earlier condemned the attack and urged German authorities to take action and arrest those involved in the incident. “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 of its consular Mission,” Baloch said.
Under the Vienna Convention 1963, Baloch stressed, it was the responsibility of the host country to protect the sanctity of the consular premises and ensure the security of diplomats.
“In yesterday’s incident, the security of Pakistan’s consulate in Frankfurt was breached, endangering the lives of its consular staff,” she said. “We are conveying our strong protest to the German Government.”
The spokesperson urged the German government to ensure the security of Pakistan’s diplomatic missions and staff 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,” she said.
In a separate message on social media platform X, Pakistan’s embassy in Germany called on the people to remain “patient and calm” after the incident.
