Islamabad has strongly condemned the Taliban's Consul General for not standing up during the playing of Pakistan's national anthem, stating that disrespecting the host country's national anthem is against diplomatic principles.
Tarz Press - The incident began when Muhebullah Shakir, the Taliban's Consul General in Peshawar, attended a conference today at the invitation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa officials. At the beginning of the conference, he did not stand up during Pakistan's national anthem. A video from the conference shows that during the playing of Pakistan's national anthem, Muhebullah Shakir and one of his companions remained seated.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed strong objections to this act by the Taliban in a statement on Tuesday, September 17. She added that she will convey this “strong protest” to the Afghan authorities in Islamabad and Kabul.
On the other hand, the Taliban Consulate in Peshawar provided clarification regarding Muhebullah Shakir's action, stating that the national anthem of Pakistan was played with music, and for this reason, the Taliban's Consul General chose not to show respect for the music. The statement from the Taliban Consulate in Peshawar noted, "We have also banned the playing of national anthems [in Afghanistan] due to music."
The Taliban Consulate emphasized, "If the anthem had been played without music or sung by children, the Consul General would certainly have stood up and placed his hand over his heart." The Taliban Consul General in Peshawar assured that "the issue was not about insulting Pakistan or its national anthem."
