Pakistan on Tuesday lodged a strong protest with Afghan authorities over the “disrespect” shown by Afghanistan’s acting consul general in Peshawar during a function in which the national anthem was played.
“The disrespect of host country’s national anthem is against diplomatic norms,” read a statement issued by Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch. “This act by the acting consul general of Afghanistan is reprehensible,” it said. “We are conveying our strong protest to the Afghan authorities in both Islamabad and Kabul,” she added to media queries on the actions of the Afghan official at the event in Peshawar.
Earlier in the day, acting Afghanistan Consul General Muhibullah Shakil and his aide attended the National Rehmatul Lil Aalamin (Peace Be Upon Him) Conference in Peshawar at the invitations of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. At the commencement of the event, Pakistan’s national anthem was played, with all participants standing up for it. However, footage from the event showed that the Afghan diplomat and his aide had pointedly remained seated as those around them stood to attention, triggering condemnations from the general public and Islamabad alike.
As the outrage mounted, including calls on social media for the immediate expulsion of the offending official, the Afghan Consulate in Peshawar sought to pacify the situation. In a clarification, Afghan Consulate Peshawar spokesperson Shahidullah claimed the consul general’s actions were not intended to “disrespect” or “disgrace” the Pakistani national anthem. “Consul General did not stand due to the music in the anthem. We have even banned our own national anthem for the same reason,” he claimed to local media, adding if it were presented without music then the consul general would have stood and placed his hand on his chest.
Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained over the Afghan Taliban’s inability to rein in militants sheltering on their soil and staging attacks across the border in Pakistan. The situation has taken on a political bent in recent days with Gandapur claiming he would “independently” seek to resolve issues with Kabul, despite having no mandate to do so.