Published 22:40 IST, June 9th 2020
India sends note verbale to Pakistan on harassment of Indian diplomats in Islamabad
Taking note of the harassment faced by its diplomats in Islamabad recently, India sent a note verbale to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, June 9
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Taking note of the harassment faced by its diplomats in Islamabad, India sent a note verbale to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, June 9. Since May 31, Indian diplomats have encountered increased harassment in the form of intimidation, intrusive surveillance, and physical threats. India highlighted that the present pattern of harassment was a clear violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Code of Conduct for the treatment of diplomatic/consular personnel in India and Pakistan signed in 1992.
Incidents of harassment
In Islamabad, India's Chargé d'affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia was closely followed during his morning walk and tailed by motorbikes when he visited a market and shops on the same day. Also, an Indian High Commission official was tailed by vehicles aggressively when he visited a nearby market. In another instance, a local employee of the Indian High Commission was interrogated when he came out of the residential complex of the diplomats. Speaking to Republic TV on June 4, strategic affairs expert Dr.Sreeram Chaulia opined that the harassment endured by the Indian diplomats was a clear violation of the Vienna Convention.
He remarked, "We need to pick it up and escalate the matter and not keep it down. Because we know they are trying to retaliate after two of Pakistani diplomats were caught spying here. It is a matter of making sure that there is a sort of balance. We should be immediately summoning their High Commissioner here."
India expels two Pakistan High Commission officials
India had expelled two officials of the Pakistan High Commission on May 31 after they were detained by the authorities on charges of engaging in espionage. In a joint operation with the Military Intelligence, the Delhi Police caught the officials trying to obtain classified material on Indian security installations at Bikanervala Chowk in Karol Bagh. Pakistan condemned India's move and alleged that the officials were detained on "false and unsubstantiated charges”. Moreover, it was alleged that the two men were tortured and threatened to accept "false charges". However, India outrightly rejected these contentions.
22:40 IST, June 9th 2020