ISLAMABAD -UNS: Sweden has closed its embassy in Islamabad indeterminately, quoting the security situation as the reason.
A notice placed on the embassy states “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.”
The notice further stated that any questions about re-opening cannot be answered at the moment.
In response to the notice, Pakistan embassy in Sweden tweeted “Many Pakistani students are applying for Swedish universities this year asking us about their status. We hope they can apply for visa soon. Education is an important aspect of our longstanding relationship and students bridge the two countries.”
The Swedish embassy, however, has not opened up about the nature of threat, but it can be seen that the reason might be connected with the incident where a Danish-Swedish far-right extremist known for spreading anti-Muslim hatred burned a copy of the holy Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm on Jan 21 under the protection of Swedish police.
The incident drawn condemnation from Muslims worldwide and many non-Muslim leaders expressed their disapproval of it as well.
