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Norway has defended its ambassador’s presence at a Supreme Court hearing in Islamabad as perfectly “in accordance with international law”, days after the Foreign Office issued a demarche to the Scandinavian country’s envoy.
The case concerns the hearing of the lawyer duo, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha. The Norwegian ambassador Per Albert Ilsaas took part in the proceedings on Thursday, which caused a stir in court and on social media.
The Foreign Office had summoned the Norwegian envoy and urged him to “adhere to the established norms of diplomatic engagement” following his “unwarranted” attendance.
Norwegian media Dagbladet reported that Cecilie Roang, senior communications adviser at the country’s foreign ministry, said: “Such a legal presence and observation of a court hearing in the receiving state is within the functions of embassies and is in accordance with international law.”
She added that such a presence was something Norway, along with other countries, did in many places around the world, especially in “matters of public interest at the duty station”.
“Reporting at home about events in the country of service is a core task of diplomacy. Legal participation in public court hearings is not an unusual way to gather knowledge,” said the senior communications adviser at the Norwegian ministry.
“The ambassador was urged to adhere to the established norms of diplomatic engagement as outlined in the relevant articles of the Vienna Convention,” Pakistan said in a statement earlier.
