Consular, overseas voting mission in Lahore, Pakistan canceled due to security concerns - PH embassy

The Philippine Embassy in Islamabad has announced the cancellation of its scheduled consular and overseas voting mission in Lahore due to ongoing security tensions along the India-Pakistan border.

Diplomatic tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations flared following a deadly attack on tourists in the disputed Kashmir region last month.

India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, which Islamabad denies. Pakistan said it has "credible intelligence" that India intends to launch military action.

The Philippine Honorary Consulate in Lahore was supposed to host the consular and overseas voting mission on May 3 and 4, but the embassy canceled it in light of the continued Red Alert status in Punjab and ''heightened security tensions.''

"This decision has been made after careful consideration of the evolving security situation in close coordination with relevant authorities,” the embassy stated.

“The safety and well-being of our nationals remain the embassy’s utmost priority.”

A supplementary consular mission will be scheduled later this year, the embassy said, to ensure that affected Filipinos still have access to the necessary services in a safer and more stable environment.

The embassy thanked the Filipino community for their understanding and urged them to remain vigilant and prioritize their safety. It also advised Filipinos to contact it through its official channels for urgent consular concerns. — Sherylin Untalan/with a report from Reuters/VBL, GMA Integrated News

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