Diplomacy

India, Pakistan back at alleging each other of ‘harassment of diplomatic staff’

India and Pakistan are back at accusing each of harassing each other’s diplomats and officials.

It has been less than a year since Islamabad and New Delhi recommitted to their bilateral Code of Conduct’ on diplomatic and consular staff.

According to a report in the Dawn, Indians are claiming that a protest was lodged with the Foreign Office on Jan 10 about Pakistani security personnel’s alleged aggressive behaviour with High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria and Deputy High Commis­sioner J.P. Singh.

The claim surfaced a day after the Pakistan Foreign Office protested to the Indian High Commission over the brief detention of a Pakistani High Commission official in New Delhi following a complaint of an altercation by a woman.

As per media reports, an official assigned to the Naval Attaché’s office in Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi was detained at a police station following a complaint from a woman that he had behaved inappropriately with her at a market. The official, it is said, was held even after he identified himself as an employee of the Pakistani High Commission.

India, moreover, say that FO had been over the past couple of months intimated about other incidents as well including alleged disconnection of power supply to the residence of a second secretary and alleged attempts at hacking of the social media accounts of a couple of diplomats at the high commission.

The happenings were described by the Indian side in the protest as “incidents of aggressive surveillance, violation of privacy and harassment”.

It should be recalled that the two countries had after a series of complaints of harassment last year reached an understanding in March 2018 to address the grievances in accordance with the bilaterally agreed 1992 ‘Code of Conduct’ on treatment of diplomatic and consular staff in each other’s country.

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