ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday called back its high commissioner from India, Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal said in a tweet.
“We have called back our high commissioner in India for consultations. He left New Delhi this morning,” he said.
It merits mentioning that Pakistan-India relations have taken a turn for the worse as at least 49 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and many others injured when suspected militants targeted a convoy with a car bomb at Awantipora in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.
The car bomb attack, considered the worst ever on security personnel in the state, was reportedly claimed by militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad and carried out by a 20-year-old Kashmiri man.
India has accused Pakistan of facilitating the attack as it announced that it would withdraw Pakistan’s ‘Most Favoured Nation’ status. However, Pakistan has denied all allegations of terror financing.
“We strongly reject any insinuation by elements in the Indian media and government that seek to link the attack to Pakistan without investigations,” Pakistan’s FO said in a statement on Thursday.
We have called back our HIgh Commissioner in India for consultations.
He left New Delhi this morning .— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) February 18, 2019
Earlier, Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had summoned Pakistan’s High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood while India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria was called to New Delhi for consultation over the incident.
Mahmood was “issued a very strong demarche in connection with the terrorist attack in Pulwama yesterday,” Reuters wire service quoted an Indian source as saying.
