China has announced that it will be temporarily closing down the consular section of its embassy in Pakistan due to “technical issues”.
The Chinese embassy provided no precise details regarding the nature of the problems or an estimated time frame for the consular section’s reopening.
For the public’s information, the Chinese embassy posted a notice on its official website announcing the temporary shutdown of the consular section. The notification stated that the closure will stand until further instructions.
“Consular Section of the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad will be temporarily closed from February 13, 2023, until further notice, due to technical issues,” reads the notice.
In the meantime, Pakistan’s security situation has caused the Chinese government to encourage its citizens to exercise extreme caution while there. The consular division of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed its citizens on Saturday that they might face elevated levels of security in the country.
If a person needs assistance with an urgent passport or travel document issue, they can phone 051-8496167. Any more questions can be sent to [email protected] by applicants.
The Chinese government’s announcement comes a day after the government reiterated its commitment to protecting all foreign and Pakistani citizens.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah gave the order to take all possible steps to protect the safety of Pakistani and foreign citizens while presiding over a meeting in Gwadar on February 12 about counterterrorism and the security of foreign nationals in the nation.
He declared that Chinese people working on various projects in Pakistan would have impenetrable protection, and any negligence in this area will not be permitted.
