India and Pakistan are in the middle of another diplomatic showdown with both New Delhi and Islamabad accusing each other of harassing its diplomats. While Pakistan has issued a demarche to India saying its diplomats are unable to function in New Delhi, sources told Times of India that the hostility was initiated by an ISI raid on a residential complex under construction for Indian diplomats in Islamabad.
India and Pakistan are in the middle of another diplomatic showdown with both New Delhi and Islamabad accusing each other of harassing its diplomats. While Pakistan has issued a demarche to India saying its diplomats are unable to function in New Delhi, sources told Times of India that the hostility was initiated by an ISI raid on a residential complex under construction for Indian diplomats in Islamabad.
India’s residential complex in Islamabad was raided by Pakistan agencies who expelled all Pakistani service providers and later disconnected power and water supply, multiple sources said. This has forced most families to return to India.
The matter was brought to the notice of Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on February 16 by Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria who protested 'multiple acts of hooliganism'. Despite Janjua’s assurance, the power supply was not restored for over two weeks, sources said, adding that the Pakistan mission in India doesn’t face such disruptions.
Sources added that even the High Commissioner’s car was intercepted in the middle of the read and was prevented from attending an official event.
Noting that the Pakistan High Commission lodged complaints of harassment with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), sources said that no doubt there will be an investigation.
"India makes all efforts to provide a safe, secure and hospitable environment for diplomats to work in. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of Islamabad. The Indian High Commission in Pakistan has been facing tremendous harassment for long, particularly in the last year," the source.
"More troublingly, over the last few months, several High Commission staff have been severely harassed and intimidated. In one of the cases, one official's home was broken into and a laptop was stolen," they added.
Sharing another incident, the sources said that recently the High Commissioner was stopped by the Pakistani agencies in the middle of a busy road to prevent him from attending an event.
"Aggressive surveillance, violation of physical space and tailing of officers in close and dangerous proximity is a perennial issue. Agency personnel keep shooting videos of the officers thrusting phones on their faces. Obscene phone calls and messages are constantly received on phones," the sources said. "In view of such an atmosphere of intimidation, most families have returned to India and children have been withdrawn from schools."
India has repeatedly requested Pakistan to mutually ensure that the High Commissions should be allowed to do their job in an atmosphere free of harassment and intimidation.
With inputs from ANIt
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