North Korea has accused Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention following a raid on its embassy in Islamabad earlier this week by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police.
Embassy of North Korea in Islamabad stated in an official letter to the Inspector General (IG) ICT Police, Muhammad Ahsan Younas, that on March 7, seven officers from the Shalimar Police Station entered the embassy’s premises without permission.
Despite staff members’ repeated reminders that the embassy is the country’s sovereign territory under the Vienna Convention, the police officers ignored the requests and broke into the embassy forcefully.
The ICT Police officials warned the staff of the dire consequences if they did not allow the police officers to search the embassy. The officers not only searched the embassy but also caused damage to it.
While expressing grave concern about the incident, the North Korean Embassy has also asked the IG ICT Police and other relevant institutions, including the Foreign Affairs Division, to conduct an independent investigation in order to avoid a similar situation in the future.
What Actually Happened
According to an anonymous source within Shalimar Police Station, the police received a tip about the presence of a large quantity of liquor in the North Korean Embassy and raided it to confiscate the liquor.
Meanwhile, IG Islamabad has formed a high-level investigation committee led by SSP Investigation to investigate the incident and has strongly directed the committee to punish the officers involved in violating the Vienna Convention severely.
Official Apology
The Islamabad Police Department has admitted to breaking into the North Korean Embassy earlier this week to seize illicit materials from the embassy’s grounds, and has apologised for violating the Vienna Convention.
The Interior Ministry has also issued an apology to the North Korean Embassy, claiming that the event was caused by a misunderstanding between the ICT Police and its informers.
The Foreign Affairs Division, on the other hand, has informed ICT Police that its employees do not have the authority to raid a country’s embassy under any circumstances, and has advised the department to consult the Foreign Office before planning any future such activities to avoid diplomatic embarrassment.
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