Elite Pakistan club puts Indian envoy Ajay Bisaria’s membership on hold: Report

Amid rising hostilities between India and Pakistan, an elite club in Islamabad has put Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisaria’s membership on hold, a media report said today.

The prestigious Islamabad Club has Pakistani elite and foreign diplomats as its members. It is customary for an ambassador to seek membership of the club after landing in Islamabad as the place is considered the favourite hangout of all top diplomats.

According to a report in the Times of India, Bisaria, who took over as Indian high commissioner in December last year, applied for the membership of the club soon after landing in the Pak capital. His membership, however, has not been approved yet. 

Memberships for foreign diplomats are normally approved within weeks.

Bisaria is a 1987-batch IFS and succeeded Gautam Bambawale, who was posted to China last year. Bisaria arrived in Pakistan in mid-December through the Wagah Border and presented his credentials to the Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain on December 21.

He is the 25th Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan.

The report said that besides putting Bisaria's membership request on hold, the club has also threatened to not renew the membership of other Indian diplomats.

Even in the past, membership for other Indian diplomats has been delayed due to heightened tension between the two countries but this is the first time that the Islamabad Club has stalled the membership of the Indian high commissioner.

Islamabad Club describes itself as an exclusive club and has government officials, diplomats and the elite of Islamabad as its members. The club is situated next to the diplomatic enclave and is spread over 346 acres.

This comes even as India has invited Pakistan to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting taking place in Delhi on March 19-20. 

Pakistan's Commerce Minister Pervaiz Malik has confirmed his attendance.