Today, Ambassador Aftab Ahmad Khokher hosted a virtual “E-Kachehri” community meeting as a monthly initiative to engage with the Pakistani community residing in Austria and Slovakia. The purpose of the meeting was to allow the community to express their concerns and to showcase the Embassy’s commitment to outreach and engagement with its community members.

The Ambassador opened the session by extending his wishes for the new year and expressing his condolences for the recent terrorist incident in Peshawar, which resulted in the loss of lives. He offered his sympathies to the families of the victims and wished a quick recovery to those injured.

The Ambassador also provided updates on the upcoming implementation of the Apostille convention, which will become effective on March 9th, 2023. He acknowledged that while efforts are being made to establish a new procedure, some countries have raised objections. The Ambassador assured the community that work is underway to address these objections and that the mission will make all efforts to extend greater support and assistance to the community members.

Community members also expressed their solidarity with the victims of the terrorist incident and raised questions on various consular matters, including legalization and Austrian nationality. The Ambassador provided guidance and issued necessary instructions to help resolve these issues.

The “E-Kachehri” is a monthly session organized by the mission to give the Pakistani community in Austria and Slovakia a platform to voice their concerns and receive prompt assistance. The mission also discusses the progress made on community-wide issues at each session.

Vienna, Austria

31 January 2023