The Sweden Embassy in Pakistan has temporarily closed its services due to the “current security situation in Islamabad.”
Sweden indefinitely closed its embassy in Islamabad due to the current security situation in the capital, as stated in a notice on its website.
The Swedish Embassy announced that it will not be open to visitors and is currently unable to send any paperwork to its consulates, Gerry centres, or applicants’ homes. It further notified that any questions about re-opening cannot be answered at the moment.
“Due to the current security situation in Islamabad, the Embassy of Sweden is closed for visitors. The Migration Section is not, at the moment, able to handle requests of any kind. Also, we cannot send any documents to our consulates, Gerry´s, or to your home address. We understand that this will cause inconvenience however, the safety of our applicants and staff members are of highest priority,” said the notice placed on the embassy’s.
The Swedish embassy did not provide details about the threat that led to its closure, but many believe it may be related to the recent incident of burning the holy Quran in Sweden.
On January 21, a Danish-Swedish far-right extremist burned a copy of the holy Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm under the protection of Swedish police. This act drew condemnation from Muslims worldwide, as well as non-Muslim leaders who expressed their disapproval of the act.
The embassy’s closure created an inconvenience for Pakistani students aspiring to study in Sweden.
“Many Pakistani students are applying for Swedish universities this year asking us about their status. We hope they can apply for a visa soon. Education is an important aspect of our longstanding relationship and students bridge the two countries,” the Pakistan embassy in Sweden tweeted.
The Pakistan embassy in Sweden expressed hope that students can apply for visas soon, as education is a crucial aspect of the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
The safety of applicants and staff members is the embassy’s top priority, and the closure will remain in effect until the security situation in Islamabad improves.
