Two missing Indian High Commission officials in ISI custody: Report
Two Indian High Commission officials working in Pakistan capital Islamabad have been missing since 8 am on Monday (June 15). The missing officials are in the custody of the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), reported NDTV quoting government sources.
The two personnel went out of the high commission on a vehicle for official duty but did not reach their destination, sources said. However, there has been no official word on it yet. The Indian embassy has taken up the matter with the Pakistan Foreign Office, and sent a preliminary report to New Delhi, sources said.
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The Indian government has complained in the form of a note verbale to Pakistan authorities and reminded them that such actions violate the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 as well as the bilateral 1992 Code of Conduct signed by both countries to protect their diplomats from hostilities in ties between them.
Just a few days back, two Pakistani officials working at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were accused of espionage and deported. The two worked in the visa section in the Indian capital.
Following this, many top Indian diplomats in Pakistan were being aggressively followed in Islamabad over the last several days and India has even protested against the excessive surveillance. Recently, the vehicle of India’s Charge d’affaires, Gaurav Ahluwalia, was chased by a biker who is said to be a member of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
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In March, the Indian High Commission in Pakistan had sent a strong note to the foreign ministry in Islamabad protesting against the harassment of its officers and staff.
In the note, India cited 13 instances just in March alone and asked Pakistan to put an end to such acts and “investigate these incidents urgently and instruct the relevant agencies to ensure that similar incidents do not recur,” according to ANI.
(With inputs from agencies)