ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Thursday that the high commissioner to India had been ‘called for consultations’ over continued harassment of Pakistani diplomats and their families based there.

“We have called our high commissioner to Pakistan for consultations,” FO spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal announced at his weekly media briefing.

Pakistan first made a demarche to India last Saturday to protest over intimidation of diplomats and their families, and a few days later Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh was summoned to the Foreign Office over what was described as “total apathy and failure of the Indian government to put a halt to these despicable incidents”. The Indian authorities were also accused of being complicit.

The FO had in its initial reaction threatened to pull out the families of diplomats if such occurrences did not stop, but the Indian government’s indifference to the complaints has pushed it to recall High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood for “consultations”.

FO regrets deliberate bullying continues unabated despite protests; Iran offer about Chahbahar being examined

It is said that there have been 26 incidents of harassment over the past eight days.

In diplomatic practice, the act of calling back the ambassador for consultations indicates serious displeasure and is short of an actual break in ties. In such situations, the envoy returns as soon as the issue is addressed.

“We will take all possible steps for the safety and security of our people in India, which is paramount to us. The foreign secretary is in constant touch with all stakeholders in this regard,” the FO spokesman said.

“This deliberate bullying, which continues is not confined to a single isolated event and continues unabated despite repeated official protests lodged with the Indian High Commission here, and also with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs at the highest level,” he added.

The Indian government, meanwhile, downplayed the consultations recall of the Pakistani envoy to Islamabad, describing it as routine, NDTV said on Thursday.

“He has been called back for consultation. This is pretty normal for high commissioner to brief its foreign office. We have no further comments,” foreign ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a press conference in New Delhi.

Pakistan had complained to the Indian government that there had been many incidents of its officials and their families being harassed and “bullied” in Delhi. According to Islamabad, its deputy high commissioner’s car was chased and his driver was abused by a group of men.

On complaints from Islamabad, New Delhi had said last week that “India makes all efforts to provide a safe, secure and hospitable environment for diplomats to work in”, adding that Indian officials too faced “tremendous harassment” in Pakistan, but preferred to handle them with “quiet and persistent diplomacy” instead of flagging them in the media.

“Harassment is the new normal for Indian High Commission personnel in Islamabad,” the foreign ministry had said in a statement.

India said its diplomats in Islamabad had faced harassment for long, “particularly in the last year”, when ties between the neighbours had taken a sharp plunge over ceasefire violations and terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

India said its envoy had on Feb 16 met the foreign secretary of Pakistan to lodge a strong protest against multiple acts of hooliganism. It said the homes of Indian officials were broken into, the power supply snapped and often laptops were stolen.

India said it had repeatedly requested Pakistan to mutually ensure an atmosphere free of fear. “We would like to continue the fine tradition of allowing diplomats to do their jobs,” said the government.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif was quoted by Radio Pakistan as having said that he was not hopeful of improvement in relations with India, especially in view of the ongoing hostilities on the Line of Control.

The FO spokesman said Pakistani politics revolved around internal issues unlike India where their politicians competed in elections by using Pakistan card. He added that minorities, especially Muslims, were also being mistreated in India.

He said Indian occupation forces in held Kashmir had martyred five Kashmiris last week, including two engineering graduates. Dr Faisal said that despite being the belligerent violator of international laws India had been making failed attempts to isolate Pakistan internationally.

India’s denial of access to the United Nations fact-finding team was a “desperate attempt” to hide its atrocities in the most militarised zone of the world, he added.

Iranian offer

Responding to a question at the briefing, spokesman Dr Faisal confirmed Iranian offer for investment in the Chahbahar Port project, saying the offer was “open to several countries, including Pakistan”.

“We will continue to work with Iran for deepening connectivity between the two ports,” he said.

About Iran’s request for joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the spokesman said the idea was discussed during Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s visit and was being examined.

When Raveesh Kumar was asked about Iranian offer to Pakistan in Delhi, he said that it was Iran’s prerogative to choose its partners for development of port. He said India supported Chabahar Port as robust and alternate route to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Afghan conflict

The FO spokesman said Pakistan believed in a non-military solution to the Afghan conflict and supported intra-Afghan inclusive dialogues. “Pakistan keeps on reiterating that it supports an Afghan-lead and Afghan-owned solution in the war-torn county.”

In reply to a question, Dr Faisal said Pakistan welcomed the announcement by the United States of head money on Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan leader Mullah Fazlullah and other terrorists, but there was a need to do more in this regard. He said consultations were going on at every level with the US, but they were away from public glare.

Responding to another question, he said internal shuffle in the US government would not affect Pakistan’s relations with America. “Pak-US relations are not personality based but on the mutual interests and cooperation.”

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2018