India, Pak in yet another diplomatic row

Tribune News ServiceNew Delhi, June 15

India and Pakistan were embroiled in yet another diplomatic row within a fortnight when two officials of the Indian High Commission, reported “missing” on Monday morning, found their way back late in the evening.

Indian sources said the staffers had been abducted by the ISI while the Pakistani Foreign Affairs Ministry claimed that the two were involved in a road accident and had hit-and-run charges slapped on them.

With no news about the staffers till the afternoon, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the Pakistan Charge d’ Affaires to seek their return. Receiving reports that the two were arrested, the Pakistan Charge d’ Affaires was asked to ensure they were not interrogated or harassed, said sources.

A fortnight ago, the Indian security agencies had detained two Pakistan High Commission staffers on charges of endangering the country’s national security. They were released after a few hours of detention and expelled the following day.

The incident in Islamabad climaxes a sustained period of aggressively tailing Indian diplomats. including Charge d’affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia. India had protested against this unwanted belligerence in a diplomatic note to Islamabad in March, citing 13 such instances.

India and Pakistan have also been indulging in verbal volleys, including over the inclusion of Gilgit-Baltistan’s weather in the Indian weather bulletin, shootouts in Kashmir and on reports of desecration of Buddhist artefacts in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

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India lodges protest with Pak over reported arrest of 2 Indian High Commission staffers in Islamabad (Eds: Updating with additional details, Changing slug) New Delhi, Jun 15 (PTI) India on Monday summoned the Pakistan charge d’affaires and lodged a strong protest to him over the reported arrest of two officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

Pakistani media reported that two Indian staffers, who went missing on Monday morning, were arrested by Pakistani authorities for their alleged involvement in a “hit and run accident”.

Official sources said the Pakistan charge d’affaires (CDA) was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs and a demarche was issued to him over the reported arrest of the two officials.

In the demarche, it was made clear to the Pakistani CDA that there should be no interrogation or harassment of the Indian officials and the responsibility for their safety and security lay squarely with the Pakistani authorities, they said.

The sources said the Pakistan side was asked to return the two officials along with the official car to the High Commission immediately.

In the morning, the two staffers in Islamabad went missing following which India took up the matter with the Pakistan Foreign Office.

The two staffers went out of the High Commission in a vehicle for official duty at around 8:30 Am (IST), but did not reach their destination, the sources said.

The incident comes two weeks after India expelled two Pakistan High Commission officials here on charges of espionage.

India had declared Abid Hussain and Muhammad Tahir as ‘persona non grata’ after they were found obtaining sensitive documents relating to movement of Indian Army troops from an Indian national, according to authorities here.

Following their expulsion, Pakistani agencies started harassing a number of Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad including charge d’affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia.

Ahluwalia’s car was aggressively tailed by Pakistani agencies on at least two occasions following which India lodged a strong protest with the Pakistan Foreign Office.

After the expulsion of the two Pakistani officials, it was expected that Pakistan would also resort to a tit-for-tat response, going by similar episodes in the past.

India’s expulsion of the two Pakistani officials and subsequent harassment of Indian High Commission staffers in Islamabad by Pakistani agencies came in the midst of frayed ties between the two countries over the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir by India.

Pakistan had downgraded diplomatic ties by expelling the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad following India’s decision to withdraw special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August last year. PTI MPB

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Pak authorities release two Indian High Commission staffers New Delhi, Jun 15 (PTI) Pakistani authorities on Monday evening released two Indian High Commission staffers in Islamabad hours after they were reportedly arrested for their alleged involvement in a “hit and run accident”.

Top government sources confirmed that the two Indian staffers were released by Pakistani authorities and they are back at the Indian High Commission.

The duo left the High Commission in a vehicle for official duty at around 8:30 AM (IST) and did not reach their destination, the sources said.

India summoned the Pakistan charge d’affaires in Delhi and lodged a strong protest over the reported arrest of the two officials.

Pakistani media had reported that the two Indian staffers were arrested for their alleged involvement in a “hit and run accident” Official sources said the Pakistan charge d’affaires (CDA) was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs and a demarche was issued to him, making it clear that there should be no interrogation or harassment of the Indian officials and the responsibility for their safety and security lay squarely with the Pakistani authorities.

The sources said the Pakistan side was asked to return the two officials along with the official car to the High Commission immediately. PTI MPB

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