Indian High Commission lodges protest with Pak foreign ministry over harassment of diplomats in Islamabad

The Indian High Commission in Islamabad on Saturday lodged a protest with the Pakistan foreign ministry over an incident of harassment of Indian officials when they had gone for shopping in the tony Blue Area in Pakistan’s capital.

The protest from the Indian High Commission comes after Pakistan High Commission complained of harassment of one of its staffers and his family on a busy road in New Delhi.

This was the 12th note verbale sent by the Indian High Commission over intimidation and harassment of its diplomats over the last two-and-a-half months.

A source said, “On 17 March, harassment of some of our officials who had gone for shopping to the Blue Area in Islamabad took place, two persons aggressively followed them and hurled abuses. On 15th March, another officer and his family was aggressively followed by two men on motorbike when he was going to a restaurant.”

Sources said the note verbale was sent on Saturday by Indian High Commission in Islamabad to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan protesting against intimidation and harassment of Indian High Commission officials. “This was the 12th Note Verbale this year on the subject. We have asked Pakistan to investigate these incidents,” the source said.

These fresh incidents took place a day after the Pakistan High Commission circulated another video of harassment of a Pakistan staffer – who works in the visa section in the High Commission in Delhi and his family.

In the video, he, his wife and two children are seated in their car and have been blocked by cars in the front and back on Africa Avenue and Vinay Marg. They were apparently stuck for an hour and half on the road.