Islamabad, Feb 15: In a major development, China has announced to temporary close the consular section of its embassy in Pakistan due to "technical issues". This came after the Xi Jinping-led Chinese government advised its citizens to be extremely cautious while in Pakistan due to the worsening security situation.

According to a News18 report, the Chinese embassy was receiving threats from Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) and Baloch militants continuously. It also claimed that China is not happy with the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government in Pakistan as the attacks on Chinese citizens and China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects are on rise.

 

“If Islamabad can’t protect our citizens, projects and interests, we know the way”, China has reportedly said, the report claimed.

 

However, China took a different stand. The Chinese embassy posted a notice on its official website announcing the temporary shutdown of the consular section for the information of the general public. 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,” the notice read. However, the Chinese embassy did not share any specific information about the nature of the issues and did not provide a timeline for the reopening of the consular section.

 

But, in a notice, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ consular department on Saturday warned the citizens that they may be at risk of high levels of security in Pakistan, reports said. While providing a helpline number and an email address, it has advised people to contact if they need assistance in connection with urgent passport and travel document matters.