Incident of harassment involving Pakistan High Commission official reported in January: MEA

NEW DELHI: An alleged incident of harassment involving an official of the High Commission of Pakistan was reported in January this year, the External Affairs Ministry said Thursday.

Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the allegations of harassment were denied by the Pakistani official and the victim also did not file any police complaint in the matter.

He said the Indian government has, from time to time, taken up the "incidents of harassment, aggressive surveillance and intimidation" of the officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad with the authorities there.

"Pakistan side has been asked to ensure safety and security of our diplomatic mission and its diplomatic and consular officials," he said.

"The government has made it clear that respective diplomatic missions should be allowed to function normally in keeping with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 and the bilateral Code of Conduct signed by the two countries in 1992," he added.

On March 30, 2018, Muraleedharan said, India and Pakistan mutually agreed to resolve matters related to the treatment of diplomats and diplomatic premises in line with the 1992 Code of Conduct for the treatment of diplomatic or consular personnel in India and Pakistan.

"The implementation of this understanding is regularly followed up through diplomatic channels," he added.