ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Thursday recalled its High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood ‘for consultations’ amid tension after harassment of Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi.

Addressing a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal said Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner’s vehicle carrying his children was stopped for 40 minutes.

“The deliberate bullying is not confined to a single isolated event, but continues unabated in a series of incidents, while picture evidence is also present,” he said.

Dr Faisal said neither any such incident occurred with Indian diplomats in Pakistan nor the Indian High Commission had informed them of such a situation. “Pakistan can go to any limits for the safeguard of its diplomats,” he said.

The spokesperson urged India should practise local politics in its own country and should not involve Pakistan in its elections. “No mention of India is made in the politics and elections of Pakistan. Indian political parties should also follow this act,” he said.

Faisal said these incidents of harassment were not linked to the membership process of a private entity, like the Islamabad Club in Pakistan, nor should it become a reason for escalation and preposterous behaviour by India.

“The issue has been raised at the highest level with the Indian side. As I have mentioned in my opening remarks, we have called our high commissioner to Pakistan for consultations,” he added.

The spokesperson said Pakistan will take all possible steps for the safety and security of Pakistanis in India, which “is paramount to the government. The foreign secretary is in constant touch with all stakeholders in this regard. We will share any further updates in due course”.

He said that the Bhartiya Janata Party’s anti-Pakistan rhetoric, rising extremism and prejudice in India was an alarming development. He said maltreatment of minorities, especially Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Dalits was the norm with incidents of religious intolerance, bias and violence on the rise.

“Reputable international organisations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have already criticised India especially its government’s complicit support to such incidents in some cases. Similarly, Pakistan bashing has been an unfortunate norm in Indian politics for some time. Fanning and exploiting xenophobia, aggression and hatred against any community or country belies the sad reality behind the Indian “shame-o-cracy”. It is to India’s own benefit to curtail this trend which is detrimental, most of all for India itself,” he said.

To a question, Faisal said Pakistan was opposed to an arms race in the region. “Pakistan is not oblivious to the arms buildup in its neighbourhood. We have been proposing measures for promoting restraint in both the nuclear and conventional domains. We expect external players to be mindful of the imperative of maintaining strategic stability in the region and refrain from policies that generate imbalances,” he said.

About Pakistani national Sirajuddin, released by India, he said Sirajuddin claims to have inadvertently entered India via Samjhauta Express train and was arrested by the Indian officials. “He has left behind an Indian wife and children. We are in the process of ascertaining all details in the matter, and will proceed accordingly,” he elaborated.

On convicted Indian spy Kulbhsuhan Jhadav, the spokesperson said that Pakistan had nothing to hide. “His apprehension has clearly brought to the forefront India’s open and blatant State-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan,” he maintained.

Reacting to Pakistan’s decision to recall its envoy, India called the development “normal and routine”.

“I am surprised why this question is being raised. The Pakistan high commissioner has been called for consultations. It is normal and routine, and not a recall,” Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a press conference in New Delhi.

Kumar said the MEA will not give details of the issue, but objected to Pakistan taking it to media. “We will not give details of the issue which we have taken up with the Pakistan government. This is something which should be taken up through established diplomatic channels and not published in media. We expect them to look into and resolve those issues,” he said.

Kumar also said the Indian diplomatic staff in Islamabad is also facing harassment. “Our High Commission in Islamabad is facing a litany of issues. We have taken them up through established mechanism,” the MEA spokesperson said.

 

GWADAR, CHAHBAHAR SISTER PORTS

 

Dr Faisal said that no military situation existed for the Afghanistan issue, however, Pakistan was ready to play a role in the reconciliation process. The spokesperson said the US and coalition forces in Afghanistan need to do more to nab militants using Afghan soil for perpetrating heinous activities inside Pakistan.

To a question about Pak-US relations, the spokesperson said: “We do not agree with the American South Asia strategy and are engaging with it through dialogue to find common ground and positive engagement will continue.”

He said Pakistan welcomed the US announcement of head money for militant leaders and said that “these were the militants involved in deadliest terror attacks in Pakistan.”

Dr Faisal said Pakistan looked forward to working with the new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and seek ‘common ground’.

Iran, he said, had offered Pakistan to participate in Chahbahar port development. “Gwadar and Chahbahar are sister ports,” he said. Iran’s offer for investment in Chahbahar port was open to several countries including Pakistan, he said.

“Our Minister of Maritime Affairs participated in the inauguration of a part of the Chabahar port. We will continue to work with Iran for deepening connectivity between the two ports,” Faisal said. 

He said Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Javad Zarif visited Pakistan from March 11 to March 13 and held consultations on bilateral relations and regional peace and security with Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif.

“The two sides agreed to continue engagement for enhancing economic cooperation including bilateral trade, investments and commercial interaction, in order to promote the shared prosperity. They reiterated their resolve to achieve the target of $ 5 billion by 2021, through regular exchange of trade delegations, establishing banking channels, holding trade exhibitions and addressing tariff and non-tariff barriers. They further resolved to conclude the Free Trade Agreement on priority,” he said adding Iran’s proposal to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was being examined.

Dr Faisal said that the Director-General of International Atomic Energy Agency during the recent visit discussed cooperation for peaceful use of nuclear energy. He said that IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano appreciated Pakistan’s role in peaceful nuclear application and its robust safety and security measures.

He said Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua visited Washington on March 7-8. She met with senior US officials including US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan at the State Department and the Deputy National Security Adviser Dr Nadia Schadlow at the White House, he said.

“The foreign secretary had in-depth discussions with the South Asia experts at the US Institute of Peace. She reaffirmed Pakistan’s constructive approach to work together with the United States for regional peace and stability. She also expressed the hope that enhanced economic engagement and realizing the economic potential in the relationship can open new vistas of long-term cooperation, strengthening the existing bonds of friendship between the peoples of the two countries,” he said.

Dr Faisal did not comment on Ali Jahangir Siddiqui’s appointment as the ambassador in the US terming it an ‘administrative matter’.

Earlier, he gave a roundup of the diplomatic activities.

 

Pakistan recalls envoy from India amid tension