THIS is with reference to the report “Outrage over Kabul envoy’s ‘disrespect’ for national anthem” (Sept 19). I was absolutely shocked to watch the Afghan envoy in Peshawar and his companion not standing up when Pakistan’s national anthem was being played. All this hap-pened in front of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister and his cabinet at some function to which the two diplomats had been invited.

Though a spokesperson later tried to rationalise the decision of the diplomats, the explanation was lame and irrational. The attitude communicated extreme disrespect to the host country. The saddest part of the whole episode was that the KP chief minister seemed to be quite satisfied with the Afghan explanation. I hope people will learn to put national prestige before party politics.

The explanation by the Afghans has been rejected by Pakistani authorities, and rightly so. But more needs to be done when our national prestige is at stake.

Akbar Jan Marwat
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024