Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur discussed an incident involving Afghan Consul General Mohibullah Shakir at the Rehmat-ul-Alameen Conference in Peshawar.
While playing Pakistan’s national anthem, Shakir remained seated, which appeared to breach diplomatic protocol. Shakir later explained that he did not stand due to the music included in the anthem, noting that Afghan authorities had similarly banned their national anthem for including music.
Read: Outrage as Afghan Consul General Remains Seated During Pakistan’s National Anthem
The Afghan spokesperson added that if the anthem had been performed without music or by children, Shakir would have stood and placed his hand on his chest to show respect.
Pakistan has condemned the Acting Consul General of Afghanistan for this act, labelling it a violation of diplomatic norms.
In response to media inquiries about the disrespect the Afghan envoy shows, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch indicated that Pakistan is lodging a strong protest with Afghan authorities in Islamabad and Kabul. “We are conveying our strong protest to the Afghan authorities,” Baloch stated.
