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| 09 July 2004 | Friday | 20 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425 |
UK, Saudi missions reopen
ISLAMABAD, July 8: The British High Commission here and the Saudi Arabian consulate in Karachi reopened on Thursday after closing down following threats of attack.
The British High Commission was closed for three days, whereas the Saudi consulate in Karachi was shut on Wednesday for a few hours.
"We had received a credible threat which had forced us to close the consulate yesterday. Today it has reopened," Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asseri told Reuters. "Pakistani authorities have provided maximum protection."
There is a track record of threats against the US and British diplomatic missions here, but this is the first threat against a Saudi mission reported in the country.
Ambassador Asseri said the threat may be a result of the kingdom's own crackdown on the Al Qaeda militant network. "I will not exclude Al Qaeda as Saudi security has been very successful against them...they may be looking for some soft target," he said.
Meantime, the British High Commission also reopened on Thursday, a day after the nearby US Embassy went back to work following a security scare which forced the cancellation of Independence Day celebrations on Monday. "We have resumed full normal operations today including the visa service," a British High Commission spokesman said. -Reuters
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