A senior MP in Britain has criticized Cardiff Council for hoisting the Pakistani flag on the city's fort. After this, a leader of the Conservative Party accused the Reform Party of instigating racial discord.
The local administration has said that the flag was flying on Cardiff Fort for two days in August this year on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day.
Reform UK's economic spokesman Robert Jenrick said on his social media account that the act of flying the flag was an "attempt to dominate our culture".
Natasha Asghar, a member of the Conservative Party of Wales, said such celebrations were not a form of "occupation" but a form of "respect".
A spokesman for Reform Wales said, "No flag other than the Welsh Dragon or the Union Flag should be flown on our historic sites."
Prior to Jenrick's Facebook message, a number of right-wing figures and commentators on X, including Reform Wales' Dan Thomas, had posted messages on the same topic.
Apart from this year, the Pakistan flag has been hoisted on Cardiff Castle before.
Some posts, including Thomas's, used an image that was originally posted by a BBC journalist in 2024 on August 14, Pakistan's Independence Day, that year.
Jenrick's account reposted a recent video of an event held at Cardiff Castle, showing some of the Senedd members elected this year and where the flag is being raised.
He wrote, "Pakistani flag has been hoisted on Cardiff Castle."
"Why do we allow this effort to dominate our culture? We see it everywhere now."
"I am very fed up with foreign flags being hoisted on our historic buildings. This shameful surrender will end with the coming of the Reform Government and we will re-establish our national identity."
Earlier, Reform Wales had objected to the Ukrainian flag being flown outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay, citing a similar policy.
Natasha Asghar's father, the late MS Mohammad Asghar, was born in pre-partition India and grew up in Pakistan.
"I've attended a number of flag raising ceremonies for the Indian community, the Pakistani diaspora, the Polish community, and I think they've all been fantastic events, attended by people from across the political spectrum," said Natasha, MP for Caesnywyd Islwyn.
"I strongly recommend that Reform organizations go to these events to see how unity happens, and that this is not a takeover by any particular community, but a way of showing respect for one another."
Asked about comments made about cultural supremacy, she said, "I'm really fed up with the Reform Party trying to instigate and start a racial controversy."
Natasha Asghar, who was involved in Jenrick's post and was not present at the event, said, "Reform groups use these small stories to divert the public's attention from negative news."
Liz Saville Roberts, leader of Platt Westminster, added: "After a very disappointing conference, Robert Jenrick is resorting to the Reform Party's favorite tactic – creating division and hoping no one notices the chaos within his own party."
"The flag of any other nation poses no threat to Welsh identity."
Chris Weaver, Labor Party leader of Cardiff Council, said, "A flag-hoisting ceremony was held on 9 August, after which the flag continued to fly throughout the night. It was also raised on 14 August to commemorate Pakistan's Independence Day."
"This occasion provided an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contribution of Pakistani communities to the diverse and multicultural city of Cardiff."
"We did the same on August 15 to commemorate India's Independence Day."
He added that the flag was flown "as part of the council's long-standing practice of marking important dates and occasions. We also fly the flags of Wales and the United Kingdom on the castle walls and they were all there that day."
"As one of the city's most prominent civic buildings, Cardiff Castle is an important way of recognizing opportunities of local, national and international importance to the capital of Wales."
He added, "This whole uproar stems from misinformation, and it's time for it to stop."
Thomas's post on Sunday, which included a photo from 2024, read: "Now the Labor Party is flying the Pakistan flag over Cardiff Castle in Cardiff."
No flag of Pakistan could be seen on the fort on Monday.
On the issue, former Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said, "Was the flag flown over the castle this year? If so, whether it is an old photograph or not is debatable. The more important question is whether the council should fly the flag at all."
BBC Wales asked Reform why Thomas sent a photo that was two years old and used the present day in his message.
Reform Wales did not comment on the issue in its statement.
