Pakistan apologises for police raid on North Korean Embassy in Islamabad
Embassy had said in a letter that police had entered the mission's premises and harassed its workers
March 10, 2022
- Islamabad Police were accused of breaking the Vienna Convention by North Korea.
- Embassy had made the accusation in a letter to the Foreign Office and Islamabad's IGP.
- Interior minister Sheikh Rasheed and Islamabad Police apologise for raid.
ISLAMABAD: Hours after North Korea accused Islamabad Police of breaking the Vienna Convention following a raid on country's embassy in the federal capital on March 7, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad on Thursday said that Islamabad has "apologised" for the incident that had occurred due to a "misunderstanding".
"We have apologised [to the North Korean mission, the incident had] happened out of misunderstanding," the interior minister said in a press conference in Islamabad.
A report published in The News, said that the embassy had stated in a letter to the Foreign Office and Islamabad's IGP that police entered the mission's premises from the backdoor at approximately 5pm on March 7 and harassed its workers.
The mission staff reminded them that the embassy was exercising the inviolable sovereign territory of DPR Korea and asked them to immediately stop this brutal act against the embassy, the letter read.
However, the letter said that the policemen searched the storeroom in the back yard on the pretence of looking for something and threatened the mission staff with guns who tried to stop them.
The letter also stated that the policemen damaged the embassy's property.
In response, the Foreign Office spokesperson said the Islamabad Police had been informed that they did not have the authority to enter the embassy premises without permission.
"They have also been informed that they cannot perform such a raid next time without having clearance from the Foreign Office," the spokesperson said.
In recent days, the Islamabad Police have been raiding different spots in the Federal Capital without prior permission from relevant authorities.
The Islamabad Police had admitted that officers had entered the North Korean embassy and apologised for the violation of convention.
According to Islamabad Police spokesperson, the law enforcement personnel broke the law will face serious punishment.
"We apologise for entering the embassy," the spokesperson added. He added that the Shalimar Police had raided the North Korean Embassy after receiving reports of a large amount of liquor on the premises.
