Pakistan Field Marshall Asim Munir was left red-faced on Saturday as security personnel demanded identification during an event in Germany. The military leader was one of the many world leaders invited to attend the Munich Security Conference over the weekend.
Visuals that have since gone viral show Munir being briefly blocked by security officials as he attempted to enter the event venue on Saturday. Reports on the incident add that he was asked to stop and “show his id” before being allowed through the barricade.
“Can you turn that around?” one of the security officials can be heard asking Munir and his team — presumably referring to the id badges carried by the Pakistani leader.
German group leads protest against Pakistani participation
A Germany-based Sindhi political organisation led a vehement protest outside the Munich Security Conference venue on Saturday — calling the invitation to Munir a “deeply regrettable” turn of events. The Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz also urged international stakeholders to take note as they highlighted human rights violations in Pakistan.
Chairman Shafi Burfat also expressed “deep shock and regret” over Munir’s presence at the high-level global forum in a formal statement addressed to the United Nations, the European Union, the German government, and international human rights bodies. The JSMM cited historical incidents to allege that Pakistan’s military establishment has a record of human rights violations and political interference. It also accused the army of wielding disproportionate influence over political and judicial institutions.