Sweden has closed its embassy in Islamabad indefinitely due to security concerns.
According to the Swedish Embassy, it won’t be open to visitors and won’t be able to send any paperwork to its consulates, Gerry centres, or applicants’ homes.
Although it apologizes for the inconvenience, the embassy has stated that giving its staff and visa applicants security comes first.
The embassy refuses to tell when the mission will resume its work in Islamabad.
Diplomatic sources said that Pakistani students who want to get admission to Swedish educational institutions will be affected most as the new academic session in Swedish universities is starting in August and the visa process approximately takes 4-6 months.
Likewise, the Pakistani diaspora living in Sweden could not apply for visit visas for their families back home. The overseas Pakistani community is trying to reach out to the Pakistan Embassy in Sweden and the Foreign Office to apprise them of their difficulties.
On the other hand, the Pakistani students have also written a letter to Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan in this regard.
According to diplomatic sources, the Swedish Embassy has also been contacted about the issue by the concerned Foreign Office officials.
In January 2023, protests against Sweden broke out in the Muslim world, particularly in Pakistan, as a result of the burning of the Holy Quran close to the Turkish embassy in Stockholm by Rasmus Paludan, a far-right politician and anti-Islam provocateur who holds dual Danish and Swedish citizenship and a history of committing similar crimes.
According to diplomatic sources, security concerns caused Sweden to close its embassy in Islamabad. They added that, aside from Sweden, applicants for visas have trouble getting their paperwork processed at missions of other European nations, such as Germany and Italy.
The embassies of these European nations are scheduling visa applicants for interviews after a period of time, sources added.