Watch: German minister almost cancels meet with Pakistan PM following humiliation over bag

The residence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday (Aug 22) witnessed chaotic scenes that could have led to a diplomatic standoff between Islamabad and Berlin.

PM Sharif was expected to welcome German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Ms Svenja Schulze, at his official residence.

However, when the minister was about to enter the PM House, the security officials asked her to leave her bag behind and get it checked.

The German minister resisted and refused to do so. In a viral video, one of the officials can be heard saying that“it’s protocol.”

Visibly annoyed, the minister discusses the matter with the German ambassador, Alfred Grannas, briefly. Then, the duo makes a U-turn towards their vehicle, in an apparent sign that Schulze was no longer interested in the scheduled meeting.

Subsequently, the security officials relented and let the minister enter the building with her bag.

According to German media, the German side had previously held detailed talks with Pakistani security ahead of the meeting. Schulze wanted to bring a photographer with her to the meeting, but this request was also rejected by the Pakistaniside. But when officials told her to leave her bag behind, they ended up crossing her red line, forcing her to almost cancel the meeting and spark a diplomatic crisis.

But in the end, everything went according to plan. PM Sharif welcomed Schulze for dinner in the presence of nearly his entire cabinet.

Notably, Germany is extremely important for Pakistan’s cash-strapped economy, being a major export destination. Pakistan majorly exports textiles, leather goods, sports equipment, and medical instruments to Germany. The meeting was also importantbecause Schulze was the first senior Western government official to visit the country since their recent election in February.

(With inputs from agencies)