This letter refers to the news report ‘Pakistan decries Afghan diplomat’s disrespect for national anthem’ (September 17, 2024). I think our side has failed on two levels. Firstly, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government – a somewhat like-minded setup – committed the indiscretion of inviting the Afghan delegation to the occasion.
Secondly, the Foreign Office just conveyed what it called a ‘strong’ protest' to the Afghan authorities over this grave insult. The right course would have been to declare the characters ‘persona non grata' and to order them to leave the country within 48 hours.
SRH Hashmi
Karachi