Pakistan summons envoy to India amid harassment claims

–FO spokesman says Indian govt has not taken any measure to safeguard Pakistani diplomats and their families

–Urges India to stop playing ‘Pakistan card’ in its domestic politics

ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday summoned its High Commissioner to India, Sohail Mehmood for consultation over continuing harassment of the embassy’s staff by Indian intelligence personnel, the Foreign Office (FO) stated.

During his weekly media briefing, FO spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said that the government will consult with the high commissioner over harassment incidents against Pakistani officials in New Delhi.

“The Indian government has not taken measures to safeguard Pakistani diplomats and their families in India,” Faisal said, adding that Pakistan has recorded its protest and raised the matter with the Indian deputy high commissioner and Indian External Affairs Ministry.

The spokesperson also said that deliberate maltreatment of diplomats and their families by India is not confined to a single event and continues unabated despite Pakistan’s protest.

He said the total apathy and failure of the Indian government to put a halt to these despicable incidents, sparing not even young children, indicates both a lack of capacity to protect foreign diplomats posted in India and a more reprehensible, complicit unwillingness to do so.

Regretting that no positive action has been taken so far by India on the issue, Dr Faisal said security of our diplomats is paramount and Pakistan will take every step, in this regard.

Urging India to stop playing the Pakistan card in its domestic politics, he said India better not indulge in their political point scoring.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, in a statement, said that diplomatic staff and their families are being harassed, calling it “outright violence” from Indian state agencies in past few weeks.

The incidents are part of a trend started on last Wednesday when the vehicle of a senior official of Pakistan high commission was stopped and damaged in New Delhi.

The following day, the deputy commissioner’s car was chased by unidentified individuals on a car and motorbike, who tortured the driver and hurled abuses at him.

KASHMIR AND AFGHAN ISSUE:

Talking about Kashmir issue, Dr Faisal said as Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir continue, Pakistan continues to raise the issue at international fora.

He pointed out the 37th Session of UN Human Rights Council held in Geneva, Switzerland where Pakistan urged India to stop the bloodshed in Occupied Kashmir and resolve the dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people as laid down in UN Security Council Resolutions.

To a question about Afghan peace talks, the Spokesperson said lasting peace in Afghanistan can only be achieved through inclusive intra-Afghan peace dialogue.

He said Pakistan has always maintained that peace process should actively be pursued to end the conflict and sufferings of the Afghan people.

He said Pakistan welcomes the US announcement of head money for militant leaders and said that these were the militants involved in deadliest terror attacks in Pakistan.