French embassy advises citizens to ‘leave’ Pakistan amid anti-French protests

The French embassy in Pakistan on Thursday advised all French nationals and companies to temporarily leave the country, following violent anti-France protests this week.

Two police officers dead and over 100 injured.

“Due to the serious threats to French interests in Pakistan, French nationals and French companies are advised to temporarily leave the country,” the embassy said in an email to French citizens.

“The departures will be carried out by existing commercial airlines.”

Thousands of Islamists clashed with police earlier this week in a demonstration against the arrest of Saad Rizvi, leader of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The Islamist cleric had threatened protests unless Pakistan expelled the French ambassador.

Anti-French sentiment has been brewing for several months in Pakistan since the government of President Emmanuel Macron offered support for a magazine’s right to republish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, a move deemed blasphemous by many Muslims.

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The French embassy in Pakistan on Thursday advised all French nationals and companies to temporarily leave the country, after violent anti-France protests paralysed large parts of the country this week: Pakistan media

— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2021