India and Pakistan should urgently address allegations of harassment of each other’s diplomats

It is quite common for neighbours to fight on petty issues. In my home town Sopore in North Kashmir, our two neighbours used to fight endlessly. Since they were living in the same partitioned house, their snooping on each other’s doors, knocking at the windows at the dead of night in the dark, switching off the main electricity board or main water tap, puncturing bicycles, were just a few creative ways of harassing each other. Ironically, similar tactics are being used by two nuclear armed neighbours of South Asia over past two months now, where their intelligence agencies are reportedly harassing diplomats posted in Islamabad and New Delhi. The issue started in February, when the Indian High Commission in Islamabad began construction of a multi-storied residential complex for its diplomats, who hitherto live in rented houses across the Pakistani capital. When its Budget was approved by the Ministry of Finance last year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) hired an Indian construction company. But the Pakistan government denied visas to the engineers and staff of this company to travel to Islamabad. It was then left to the Indian mission in Islamabad to assign construction to local contractors.

On February 16, Pakistani intelligence officials allegedly raided the under-construction complex and arrested masons and labourers. Before leaving they snapped water and electricity connections. Next day, Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria met Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmena Janjua to lodge a protest. But till date, neither water nor electricity connections have been restored, nor could construction be resumed. India had got all the clearances for its construction from the relevant authorities in Islamabad.

It is not just electricity and water issues. The Indian High Commissioner was recently tailed aggressively when he was attending the Oxford Litfest in Karachi. Even his flag car was stopped, which is unprecedented. This led to a series of incidents in both countries.

India has so far issued 17 note verbales, protesting against incidents of harassment, while Pakistan has claimed 52 such incidents in just 15 days between March 7 and 22. The most worrisome was when some unidentified persons abused children of Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner when they were on their way to school and in another related incident forced its political consular to come out of his vehicle. 

Whether it is cross-firing across the LoC between the armies or harassment of diplomats in respective capitals, none of these incidents are new. Prior to 1997, such incidents were regular features. 

Quite often, landline phones — the only means of communication those days — used to go dead abruptly at the residences of diplomats.

There were instances when taps at their residences would go dry. But all these issues were settled either at local commander level along the LoC or at the head of chancery (HoC) levels at missions, who used to get them settled with deputy secretary concerned or maximum at the level of joint secretaries at the respective foreign offices.

The incidents had almost stopped when Inder Kumar Gujral became prime minister in 1997. Known for his expertise in foreign affairs and more particularly Pakistan affairs, he issued strict instructions to security agencies involved in counter espionage to avoid targeting diplomats unnecessarily. The gesture was reciprocated in Islamabad. 

But now, the recurrence of such incidents after 21 years is a matter of concern. This only shows the extent of communication breakdown between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

It is not just diplomats alone. Media persons stationed in the respective capitals too have borne the brunt of the hostilities between India and Pakistan. In May 2014, Pakistan had summarily asked Snehesh Alex Phillip of the Press Trust of India (PTI) and Meena Menon of The Hindu to leave the country, offering no reason.

Pakistan had already withdrawn its two journalists representing Radio Pakistan and Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) from New Delhi.

Recently, Taha Siddiqui, the Pakistan bureau chief of WION, was allegedly held up by a group of 10-12 people in Islamabad. The group had attempted to abduct him. During their stay in their respective capitals they were allegedly harassed to the hilt.

Unlike diplomats, media persons are made to suffer in silence. A case in point was the incident of Radio Pakistan correspondent Wasim Khalid, who was serving in Delhi in the 90s. Khalid’s work visa used to expire at the end of every month. One fine day, there was no word about his visa till the 29th of that month and he was told unofficially to keep his baggage ready for departure. Even the police inspector at the Delhi Police headquarters warned him that if he was seen in Delhi after the expiry of visa, he would land straight in prison. It was a day for his friends, who taking advantage of distress sale, took his household belongings cheaply and his landlord purchased his ambassador car for just Rs. 25,000.

Early morning the next day, All India Radio in its lead news report quoted government of India sources that denied that the Radio Pakistan correspondent had been asked to leave the country. Within an hour, his passport was stamped and visa extended for one more month. Now he had to spend another few days, requesting friends to return his belongings. Many of them were returned, but some chose to sacrifice friendship for the belongings.

It is high time for two neighbours to learn to behave like mature nations. If diplomats are subjected to such harassment and thrown into a situation of helplessness, how can they infuse confidence in relations and help people? The current strategy doesn’t benefit anybody and it is time that better sense prevail in both Islamabad and New Delhi.

The writer is Editor, Strategic Affairs, DNA. Views expressed are personal