Mysterious power cut at diplomat’s home in Pakistan

Barely days after Indian diplomats in Islamabad lodged a complaint that they were harassed and questioned on the side of a road while on official duty in Peshawar, another incident of harassment has surfaced, the first that affect the kin of diplomats as well. This time, on December 25 — in the peak winter season on the foothills of Himalayas — the electricity in residence of the second secretary was cut off for four hours early in the morning, causing inconvenience to the family members, including children, of the diplomat.

The matter was raised with Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), which maintains power and water in the neighbouring nation. The diplomat also lodged a telephonic complaint with WAPDA. Interestingly, upon inspection, it was revealed that there was no electrical fault at the residence, and this was the only residence where there seemed to be no power.

Meanwhile, India has raised the matter with Islamabad with a note verbale being sent on December 27 wherein it asked the Pakistani foreign ministry to “direct the relevant authorities to ensure that such incident do not recur”.

Third Incident 

This is the third major incident this month. First, on Dec 10, someone tried to force entry into the house of a diplomat; on Dec 21, the Indian High commission team was harassed on a Peshawar road for 30 minutes.