ISLAMABAD - A diplomatic row between Pakistan and France having threat of affecting the relations of two countries ended yesterday as the former verified the identity of its citizen imprisoned in France.
A spokesman of the Interior Ministry said that issue of identity of Muhammad Mansha imprisoned in France had been resolved, as FIA team had verified his identity as well as Pakistani citizenship following a visit of his ancestral village.
A diplomatic row had started between Pakistan and France after the Interior Ministry refused to issue travelling documents including passport to Mansha, without proper verification, for his deportation to Pakistan.
The spokesman of the ministry said that after the verification of Mansha's Pakistani citizenship, the minister had directed the director general passports to issue Mansha the relevant travelling documents.
According to the sources of the Interior Ministry, the issue settled after the French Ambassador to Pakistan met with the high-ups of the ministry and took up the matter with them.
On Islamabad's refusal, the French government had threatened to stop issuance of visas to Pakistanis if the ministry did not issue the inmate relevant documents within two hours.
The interior minister then rebuffed the French government's threat with the stance that travelling documents to the person would only be issued after due authentication of his Pakistani nationality. The minister had called the French government's attitude against diplomatic norms.
Mansha has been living in France for several years and has been accused of being involved in criminal activities and France government wanted to deport him to Pakistan immediately.
Actually, it was the home ministry of France who had contacted Pakistan's ambassador to France over deportation of issue and warned that if relevant documents were not issued in two hours, the relations between two countries would be affected. Then ambassador contacted interior minister in Pakistan informing him about the whole situation.
Earlier some months back, the Interior Ministry had suspended its re-admission treaty with the European Union with the stance that only those persons would be re-admitted in Pakistan after their deportation from Europe whose nationality would be duly verified by Pakistani authorities. Later, the re-admission treaty was restored after the EU endorsed Pakistan's stance.