Diplomats harassment row: Indian mission in Pakistan lodges another protest

A source said, “On 17 March, harassment of some of our officials who had gone for shopping to the Blue Area in Islamabad took place, two persons aggressively followed them and hurled abuses. On 15th March, another officer and his family was aggressively followed by two men on motorbike when he was going to a restaurant.”

Sources said the note verbale was sent on Saturday by Indian High Commission in Islamabad to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan protesting against intimidation and harassment of Indian High Commission officials. “This was the 12th Note Verbale this year on the subject. We have asked Pakistan to investigate these incidents,” the source said.

These fresh incidents took place a day after the Pakistan High Commission circulated another video of harassment of a Pakistan staffer – who works in the visa section in the High Commission in Delhi – and his family. In the video, he, his wife and two children are seated in their car and have been blocked by cars in the front and back on Africa Avenue and Vinay Marg. They were apparently stuck for an hour and half on the road.

This came on a day Pakistan conveyed that their commerce minister is not going to attend the World Trade Organisation meet in New Delhi next week.

India last month invited Pakistan Commerce Minister Pervez Malik to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting scheduled in New Delhi on March 19-20. Sources told The Sunday Express that he had not responded positively to the invitation.

“Malik had not confirmed. And it is difficult for him to come here when political campaigning has started… So, possibly, a political call was taken as not to send him,” a Pakistan government source told The Sunday Express.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s envoy Sohail Mahmood reached Islamabad on Friday evening, where has been called for “consultations”.

However, with Pakistan PM Shahid Kaqan Abbasi in the US and UK, and reaching Pakistan only on Monday, Mahmood is likely to meet him only next week.

“A decision on how long he will stay and when he will return has not been fixed yet. It will be decided after taking into account the situation. But, if the incidents of harassment continue, there is a possibility of him or other Pakistan diplomats returning to Pakistan. But several things are at play, so a final decision will be taken later,” a Pakistan government source said.