Pakistan recalls envoy from India over alleged 'harassment' of staff

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday recalled its envoy for consultation to Islamabad over alleged harassment of its staff at the Embassy in the national capital, reports quoting the Foreign Office said. 

According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi, Sohail Mahmood, has been recalled back to Islamabad. 

This was announced by Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal in his weekly press briefing in Islamabad.

''The Pakistan government will hold consultations with the High Commissioner over "recent incidents of harassment of the diplomats", he said.

Faisal alleged that the Indian government had not taken adequate measures to safeguard Pakistani diplomats and their families in India. 

He added that despite the Pakistani government lodging several protests over the matter with the Indian Deputy High Commissioner and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), no action was taken.

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement, which said its, "staff and their families had been facing harassment, intimidation and outright violence from Indian state agencies in recent weeks in New Delhi".

''Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner's car was chased and his driver was abused by a group of men in the Indian capital last week,'' it said further.

Responding to complaints by Islamabad, the Government of India had assured last week that it  "will make all efforts to provide a safe and secure environment for diplomats to work in". 

It added the Indian officials had also faced "harassment" last year in Pakistan but they chose to deal with it through "quiet and persistent diplomacy".