Diplomats in Pak chased, abused, says India in 12th note verbale

New Delhi: India on Saturday gave a Note Verbale to Pakistan through its high commission in Islamabad protesting the "intimidation and harassment" of its staff there, the 12th such diplomatic note in less than three months.

Official sources said that in its communication to the Pakistan foreign ministry, the Indian high commission specifically mentioned two incidents of harassment -- one today and the other on March 15.

"Another Note Verbale was sent today by our High Commission in Islamabad to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan protesting against the intimidation and harassment of Indian High Commission officials," a source said.

"This was the 12th Note Verbale this year on the subject," the source said.

In the Note Verbale, two incidents were highlighted. In Saturday's incident, the source said, some officials of the Indian mission, who had gone for shopping to the Blue Area in Islamabad, were harassed with two persons aggressively following them and hurling abuses.

In the March 15 incident, another official of the mission and his family was aggressively followed by two men on motorbike when he was going to a restaurant.

"We have asked the Pakistan Government to investigate these incidents," the source said.

The Note Verbale to Pakistan foreign ministry comes two days after Islamabad called its High Commissioner home for consultations, which was termed by India as "routine" and "normal".

Pakistan had said it called home its envoy in India Sohail Mahmood for consultations after repeated incidents of "harassment" of its diplomatic staff in New Delhi.

Pakistan had also accused the Indian officials of intimidating the children of a senior diplomat while they were on their way to school.

It said the counsellor's car with his children onboard was hit from behind by another car occupied by Indian authorities.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was also facing a "litany of issues" which has not been resolved for several months by that country.

Pakistan Foreign Office earlier on Saturday informed that Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood is unlikely to return to New Delhi any time soon. The official told the daily that the high commissioner would stay back for an indefinite period.