India exposes Pakistan over its move to bring back envoy

Pakistan said on Thursday it has decided to call back its High Commissioner in India, Sohail Mahmood, for consultations over alleged harassment of its diplomats and their families, a claim New Delhi strongly rejected.

Ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar played down the issue and insisted it was not an official recall, but "routine" and "pretty normal" for a High Commissioner to brief its foreign office. Recalling of an envoy is seen as protest against the host country.

Kumar said India is looking into the issues raised by Islamabad, but asserted the Indian High Commission there has also been facing issues. "We raised the issues through diplomatic channels. We would like our mission in Islamabad to function smoothly in line with Vienna convention. We have asked for resolution from Pakistan to ensure safety of Indian High Commission," he said. The Indian High Commission claimed the home of one of its officials was broken into in Islamabad and his laptop was taken away.

Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Faisal earlier said that India has failed to take notice of increasing incidents of intimidation.

The Pakistan High Commissioner had alleged on Friday that children of his deputy were harassed and intimidated while they were on their way to school.

While India did not respond officially, government sources here said that an offer had been made to get such charges investigated.

It is believed that a tit-for-tat game in both capitals started when Pakistani intelligence agencies raided the under construction Indian residential complex in Islamabad in February. Indian High Commissioner Ajit Bisaria lodged a formal complained to the Pakistan Foreign Secretary on February 16. All service providers were told to withdraw, and later, power and water supplies were disconnected, according to sources.

The Pakistan government had earlier delayed providing clearance for the complex, forcing Indian diplomats to compromise on safety and security, sources said.

Over the past fortnight, the Pakistan High Commission here has lodged a series of complaints of harassment of diplomats. On Tuesday, the Pakistan Foreign Office had summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh over the alleged harassment.

Faisal alleged on Wednesday that deliberate bullying was not confined to a single event but "continues unabated despite repeated official protests at the highest (level)."

He said Pakistan has shared photographs identifying the individuals, who forcibly halted and took pictures of the officers but regrettably no positive action was taken by the Indian side so far.

He claimed that Indian officials stopped the car of the Deputy High Commissioner for 40 minutes and harassed the occupants. "Pakistan will go to any limit to ensure safety of the staff of (its) High Commission in India," he said.

The Harassment 

• ISI raids Indian residential complex; cuts power and water supplies 
• High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria’s car halted; he misses a lunch
• Indian official’s house invaded, laptop stolen; receive obscene calls