Pakistani Chinese embassy briefly closes the consular section

China’s embassy in Pakistan has temporarily closed down its consular division due to “technical issues.”

The Chinese embassy did not provide any specific information regarding the nature of the problems or a projected reopening date for the consular division.

For the public’s information, the Chinese embassy announced the temporary closure of the consular division on its official website. Furthermore, the announcement stated that the closure would remain in effect until further notice.

According to the letter, the consular division of the Chinese embassy in Islamabad will be temporarily closed until further notice beginning on February 13, 2023.

In the interim, the security situation in Pakistan has caused the Chinese government to encourage its citizens to take extreme caution when in Pakistan.

Last Saturday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular section notified its citizens that they might encounter heightened security in the country. Accordingly, people have been instructed to phone 051-8496167 if they require immediate assistance with passport and travel document issues. Applicants with more questions should send an email to islamabad@csm.mfa.gov.cn.

The warning by the Chinese government comes one day after the Pakistani government reaffirmed its commitment to the safety of all Pakistani citizens and visitors.

While presiding over a conference on counterterrorism and the protection of foreigners in Pakistan on February 12 in Gwadar, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah directed officials to take all necessary precautions to safeguard the safety of Pakistani and foreign nationals.

He stated that Chinese citizens working on various projects in Pakistan would be provided with impregnable security and that any negligence in this area would not be tolerated.