Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood Called Back After Alleged Incidents of 'Harassment'
Based upon the official complaint from Pakistan last month, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs had ordered a probe into the allegations.
Islamabad, Mar 15: Pakistan on Thursday recalled its High Commissioner to India, Sohail Mahmood, after alleged incidents of harassment. In a statement issued by the Pakistan Foreign Office, it accused the Indian government of failing to provide a secure environment to its diplomats deployed in the country.
The unprecedented action taken by Islamabad, which is expected to further plunge the India-Pakistan ties, comes a day after Pakistani media said India's Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh was summoned over the "inaction" taken by New Delhi in the harassment case.
Confirming the decision to call back Sohail Mahmood from India, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammed Faisal said, "Our High Commissioner in New Delhi has been asked to come to Islamabad for consultations."
Based upon the official complaint of Pakistan registered in the past week, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs had ordered a probe into the allegations.
In its complaint, Pakistan claimed the Deputy High Commissioner to India was chased in his car by a group of hooligans in the national capital, who also hurled abuses against him and his driver.
Apart from ordering an inquiry into the accusations of Pakistan, India had levelled counter-allegations, claiming that its diplomats have been facing constant harassment in Pakistan since the past year.
"But rather than flag the cases in the media, Indian diplomats chose to tackle them with quiet and persistent diplomacy," the MEA had said.
To further validate its charge, India cited the complaint it registered with Pakistan's Foreign Office on February 16, after residences and office premises of Indian diplomats were targeted in Islamabad.
In his letter to the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad said laptops of envoys were being stolen, homes were broken into and power supply frequently snapped.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 15, 2018 02:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).