By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan, in a quid pro quo move, Tuesday summoned the The Indian Chargé d’ Affaires in Islamabad to Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday to ask New Delhi to cut down staff in its High Commission by 50 percent.
“The Indian Chargé d’ Affaires was informed of Pakistan’s decision to reduce the Indian High Commission’s staff strength by 50% as a reciprocal measure.The Chargé d’ Affaires was asked to implement the decision conveyed to him within seven days,” Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said in a statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had summoned the charge d’affaires of the Pakistan High Commission, in New Delhi Haider Shah, to communicate the decision of asking Islamabad to slash its staff at High Commission in New Delhi by 50 percent.
“Pakistan categorically rejects and strongly condemns the baseless allegations made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs as a pretext to seek 50% reduction in the staff strength of the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi,” Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson said.
She said that Pakistan has dismissed allegations of any violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations by the officials of the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi and reiterated that they always function within the parameters of international law and diplomatic norms.
“Pakistan also rejects the insinuations of intimidation of Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad. The Indian Government’s smear campaign against Pakistan cannot obfuscate the illegal activities in which the Indian High Commission officials were found involved in. The MEA’s statement is another effort to distort facts and deny the culpability of these Indian High Commission officials in criminal offences,” she said.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi says Pakistan will also reduce Indian High Commission's staff strength by 50 percent as a counter measure if India reduces 50 percent staff of Pakistan High Commission@SMQureshiPTI https://t.co/wQYLLXjpLO
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) June 23, 2020
The latest Indian action is a part of India’s desperate attempts to divert attention from its state-terrorism and worst human rights violations in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IoJ&K). India would be better advised to focus on its internal and external issues, rather than creating diversions at the cost of peace and stability in South Asia. Pakistan has been consistently sensitizing the world community that irresponsible policies of the BJP government are increasingly imperilling regional peace and stability, the foreign office spokesperson said.
The High Commissions of both countries have been run by charge dáffaires ever since Ajay Bisaria returned from Islamabad last August after India abrogated Article 370 and Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties over New Delhi’s unilateral and illegal move to remove the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Islamabad was to send its new envoy to India, Moin ul Haq, but that move was also cancelled.
