The Foreign Office of Pakistan has reacted to the news of the Queer event organized by the German Embassy in Karachi.
A report circulated on social media claimed that German Embassy in Karachi sponsored a Queer Event in Karachi. There were reports that a German diplomat has groped a woman at the event.
Holger Ziegeler, a top German diplomat in Karachi, has been accused of sexually harassing a woman in the Queer Event. The event was organized on November 13 last year and co-funded by the German Consulate.
“At the 2nd ScrapFest Pakistan event on November 13th/ 2021 at a privately hired venue; a woman attending was sexually harassed by one of the senior staff members from the German Consulate in Karachi,” wrote Urvah Khan in an Instagram post. She was the main organizer of the event.
“Since my last post on this incident, the German Federal Foreign Office’s unit responsible for investigating all allegations of sexual misconduct has directly contacted me. I have provided them with the video and text evidence I mentioned was in my possession,” wrote Urvah in a separate Instagram post.
"It is expected that diplomats posted in other countries they are required and expected to respect the local cultural norms", says @ForeignOfficePk on the report of German consulate sponsoring a Queer Event in Karachi where the German CG in Karachi has allegedly groped a woman.
— Anas Mallick (@AnasMallick) May 28, 2022
According to the media report, the German Embassy has been investigating the diplomat. Meanwhile, the Foreign Office of Pakistan has also passed a statement on the issue. “It is expected that diplomats posted in other countries are required and expected to respect the local cultural norms”, journalist Anas Mallick quoted Foreign Office as saying in a tweet on Saturday.
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German Diplomat Holger Ziegeler has been accused of sexually harassing attendees and groping a woman at a queer festival co-funded by the German Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. https://t.co/G5y9K2f3wp
Please email me at URVmusic@gmail.com@NesrineMalik
— Urvah Khan عروه خان (@UrvahKhan) May 18, 2022
Last week, US Mission in Pakistan came under attack from the netizens. US Embassy in Islamabad came under online criticism for a Twitter post advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ+ Community last week.
Read more: US Embassy Islamabad slammed for Twitter post on LGBTQ+ community
The embassy of the United States in Islamabad posted a social media post vouching for support for the LGBTQ+ community that spurred condemnation from the Pakistani Twitter users. “Mission Pakistan works to strengthen and support the LGBTQI+ community. We strive every day to ensure the human rights of the LGBTQI+ community are respected and protected from oppression. We continue to press for full equality,” said US Embassy in Islamabad.