PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD: In yet another violation of the international law on diplomatic ties, Indian intelligence officials on Thursday stopped the vehicle of Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires Syed Haider Shah in New Delhi and misbehaved with him.
Shah was returning from work when he was harassed by personnel belonging to spy agencies.
The unpleasant incident has been described as a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and is the latest in New Delhi’s recent harassment of Pakistani diplomats.
A few days ago, India had ordered the expulsion of two Pakistani diplomats posted in New Delhi after declaring them as persona non grata.
The Indian External Affairs Ministry claimed that the two diplomatic staff members of the Pakistani mission were apprehended by Indian law enforcement agencies for “indulging in espionage activities.” Authorities, however, did not identify the two individuals.
“The government has declared both these officials persona non grata for indulging in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission and asked them to leave the country within twenty-four hours,” read an official handout issued by the Indian foreign ministry, which also summoned the Pakistani chargé d’affaires on the issue.
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But within hours of the Indian move, Pakistan reacted sharply and condemned the expulsion of its diplomats.
“The Indian action has been accompanied by a negative pre-planned and orchestrated media campaign, which is a part of persistent anti-Pakistan propaganda,” said a foreign office statement.
The statement said the two staff members of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were lifted by the Indian authorities on Sunday on “false and unsubstantiated charges.”
They were, however, released on intervention by the High Commission.
“We condemn the detention and torture as well as threatening and pressuring of the diplomatic officials to accept false charges,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui.
She said Pakistan strongly rejected the baseless Indian allegations and deplored the Indian action which she termed as clear violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations as well as the norms of diplomatic conduct especially in an already vitiated atmosphere.
“The High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi has always worked within the parameters of international law and diplomatic norms. The Indian action is clearly aimed at shrinking diplomatic space for the working of Pakistan High Commission,” she added.
Aisha made it clear that the Indian attempts to escalate the tensions will not succeed in diverting attention either from the ongoing internal and external issues faced by the BJP government or from the worsening situation and gross human rights violations being perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).
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