Business
Pakistan’s ties with Nordic states touch new low as Norway envoy served demarche
Pakistan on Thursday summoned the ambassador of Norway and issued a demarche over “unwarranted attendance” of court proceedings in a human rights case.
Ambassador Per Albert Ilsaas on Thursday attended a Supreme Court proceeding pertaining to controversial social media posts by rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha.
This would be the first time in recent years that Pakistan has served a demarche to an European envoy. European envoys are generally given red carpet welcome and treated with care by Islamabad given its financial dependence on Europe through GSP Plus and other schemes. Norway hosts sizeable number of Pakistani nationals.
Speaking to media in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the Norwegian Ambassador was “summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today by the Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe), regarding his unwarranted attendance at a court proceeding in Islamabad, which constitutes a breach of diplomatic protocol and relevant international law.”
Andrabi said, “Noting that his actions amount to interference in the internal affairs of the country, the ambassador was urged to adhere to the established norms of diplomatic engagement, as outlined in the relevant articles of the Vienna Convention”
Imaan, however, defended the envoy’s presence in response to a journalist who termed it a “breach of diplomatic norms”.She quipped, “Who is going to explain to this genius that diplomats routinely observe court proceedings, that it is not equivalent to them taking a position on any case? This is a standard practice, but it’s very clear where the pressure to malign the ambassador is coming from.”
Imaan and her husband are facing trial under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016. They have moved the Supreme Court, requesting an urgent hearing of their appeal against Islamabad High Court’s refusal to grant interim relief.
Late last month Finland began formal preparations to close its embassies in Islamabad, Kabul and Yangon in 2026 as part of a major overhaul of its global diplomatic network, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs announced.
The move, the ministry had noted, is driven by “operational and strategic reasons” tied to political developments in the three countries and their “limited commercial and economic relations with Finland.”
In a statement released by the Embassy of Finland in Islamabad, the Ministry said the restructuring aims to redirect diplomatic and economic resources toward regions that align more closely with Finland’s long-term foreign policy and trade priorities.
“The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is reforming its network of missions abroad,” the embassy stated. “The Ministry has started preparations for closing the embassies of Finland in Islamabad, Kabul and Yangon. The plan is to close the embassies during 2026,” it mentioned.
The closures follow a strategic review launched earlier this year to assess whether Finland’s diplomatic presence meets contemporary foreign policy needs and the objectives of Team Finland’s export promotion initiatives. As part of this review, Finland has strengthened its footprint in the United States by opening a Consulate General in Houston, and plans to establish new commercial offices in 2026 in former Business Finland locations. Pakistan is clearly not a priority, a source explained.
