New Delhi, June 15: Two staffers of the Indian Embassy were freed hours after they went missing and were reportedly arrested by the authorities in Islamabad. Local media reports, as well as top sources linked to Indian news agencies, confirmed the return of missing embassy officials to the Indian Mission. Pakistan Envoy in Delhi Summoned, Issued Demarche on 'Reported Arrest' of Two Indian High Commission Staffers in Islamabad.

The release of embassy officials was preceded by a strongly-worded demarche issued by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to the Pakistan High Commissioner - Moin ul Haq - in Delhi. The MEA had demanded immediate release of the staffers at the earliest.

The demarche to Pakistan's Charge d'affaires made clear that there should be no interrogation or harassment of the Indian officials. The responsibility for the safety and security of the concerned diplomatic personnel lay squarely with the Pakistani authorities, said the MEA in the demarche issued to Haq.

Update by ANI

Sections of the India media had, earlier in the day, reported that the two officials were rounded up by Pakistan's Inter-State Intelligence (ISI) after they were moving towards the Islamabad airport to pick up an embassy staff.

On the other hand, sections of the Pakistani media claimed that the staffers were taken into custody after their car rammed into a pedestrian. Official sources on both the sides had neither rejected or validated either of the claims.

The frosty ties between India and Pakistan developed more frictions over the last five years, with several cross-border militant attacks being conducted in Jammu & Kashmir. The ties plunged to an unprecedented level following the abrogation of Article in August last year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 15, 2020 08:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).