NEW DELHI – The arch-rivals of South-Asia, India, and Pakistan have embroiled themselves in a latest diplomatic spat with the secret services of both the neighbors alleging each other of ringing rival diplomats’ doorbells late night before fleeing the scene.
Though the nuclear-armed neighbors have been alleging each other of mistreating diplomats stationed in respective countries, however, the latest barb traded is that the doorbell of Indian Deputy High Commissioner was rung at 3 am following which the doorbell of Pakistani Deputy High Commissioner was also rung at the same time, after a few days.
Though JP Singh and Syed Haider Shah did not answer the door, however, both have a strong conviction in the perception that the secret services could be behind the dubious calling.
The event comes on the heels of halting the grant of Islamabad Club’s membership to Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria.
Initial reports suggested that the elitist club had denied the membership to the Indian diplomat, however, the club officials in a conversation with Express Tribune clarified that the club needed NOC by the Ministry of Interior to grant membership saying ‘It is a routine matter’.
The partial denial to Indian envoy is believed be in response to the complaints of Pakistani diplomats in India, who claimed that the Delhi’s lavish Gymkhana Club and Golf Club were charging them exorbitant rates.
To bolster their point in a communication with Islamabad, the officials said while the Delhi Golf Club charged $ 15,000 from them for a 3-year membership, Indian diplomats paid only $ 1500-1800 for same duration membership in Islamabad Club, reported Times of India.
They further claimed that while Islamabad Club allowed entry to the entire families of Indian diplomats, their children were not allowed access to the clubs in Delhi.
On the other hand, India has responded by informing Pakistan that Golf Club and Gymkhana are private clubs and it wasn’t possible for the Indian government to ask them to reduce membership cost for anyone.
New Delhi says the latest problems erupted after a construction site for a new diplomatic residential compound they were building in Islamabad was raided and the power and water cut off.
On the other hand, Pakistani officials alleged that the workers there did not have proper security clearance and that the issue had been resolved.
Moreover, what led to the increase in tension between the two countries is the fact that in the past few days, Pakistani diplomats have claimed that the New Delhi authorities have been harassing them through different tactics.
On Tuesday, an Indian vehicle intercepted a Pakistani diplomat’s car and a person took pictures of the envoy before speeding away in the car. The diplomat’s daughter, who was heading to school was traumatized by the ordeal.
In another incident, the vehicle of another senior counselor was forcefully stopped by an unknown individual who then disembarked and took pictures of the counselor. The car of Pakistani official was not allowed to pass, turning a ten-minute journey home into a 90-minute horror-filled episode.
Tuesday’s incidents were not the first, rather, a continuing trend that started last week when a senior diplomats vehicle was stopped and damaged.
The following day the Deputy High Commissioners’ vehicle was chased by unknown individuals in a car and on a motorbike, who dragged the driver out of the car and hurled abuses at him.
In another incident on Thursday, the minister political of the Pakistan High Commission was chased and his car was damaged by unknown individuals. The very next day on Friday, Pakistan’s High Commissioner raised the issue with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and met with the MEA Joint Secretary about the incidents.
Following the meeting, instead of the incidents stopping, two counselors of the Pakistani mission were harassed in a similar manner. Pakistan High Commission again raised the issue with the MEA.
The spree of events, in a flagrant contradiction with Geneva convention bindings, prompted Pakistan to call back its High Commissioner from India for consultation on the issue of harassment.
The Foreign Office spokesman Dr. Muhammad Faisal during the weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday said that deliberate maltreatment of diplomats and their families by India was not confined to a single event and continues unabated despite our protest.
