'Pak limits Indian diplomats' movements' | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

'Pak limits Indian diplomats' movements'

None | ByVinod Sharma, New Delhi
Dec 17, 2006 12:58 AM IST

According to a Pak TV channel report its Govt has restricted the movements of Islamabad-based Indian diplomats, reports Vinod Sharma.

The Pakistan government has restricted the movements of Islamabad-based Indian diplomats in an apparent tit-for-tat action, a Pakistani TV channel reported on Saturday.

HT Image
HT Image

But sources in the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi said the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has received no word on the reported move of the Pak Foreign Office.

They maintained the issue was discussed at the November 13-14 Foreign Secretary level talks between Shivshankar Menon and Riaz Mohammad Khan.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

In return for lifting restrictions on Pakistan officials’ movements beyond Delhi’s municipal limits - to Gurgaon in Haryana and Noida in Uttar Pradesh - New Delhi had sought access to places in addition to Murree and Rawalpindi, the Pakistan capital’s veritable twin-city that is popular for bargain shopping.

A senior MEA official said Indian diplomats had permission to travel to Rawalpindi as part of an arrangement dating back to days when Islamabad was developing and it was difficult to "even get a loaf of bread" in its municipal confines.

Likewise, India has a rented property at the nearby hill resort of Murree where resident and visiting diplomats stay during short visits.

Quoting the Pak Foreign Office, Geo TV confirmed that negotiations happened between the two countries for allowing access to Pakistani diplomats to Noida and Gurgaon, where some among them held memberships of a golf club.

But MEA sources contested the TV channel’s suggestion that Indian restrictions covered the Indira Gandhi International Airport. “That’s factually incorrect. The airport is within the limits of Delhi,” they said. 

The standoff on an issue that can be easily resolved does not augur well for External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s mid-January visit to Islamabad to invite the Pakistani leadership to the SAARC Summit in India next year.

The visit could also offer an opportunity for regular talks between Mukherjee and his Pakistan counterpart, Khurshid Kasuri. 

Email Vinod Sharma: vinodsharma@hindustantimes.com

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On