protests against India

Hafiz Saeed

India asks its diplomats in Pakistan to withdraw kids from local schools

NEW DELHI: As tension simmers between India and Pakistan over recent developments in Kashmir, India has asked its diplomats and other officials to withdraw their kids from local schools in Islamabad.Indian officials can either send their kids back to India or return themselves, official sources said."What it means is that no Indian official based in Pakistan can have his or her children living with them. Those who seek a posting in Pakistan will have to keep that in mind too," an official here told TOI. Spouses, however, can remain in Pakistan for now.There are about 50 children of Indian officials currently studying in Islamabad's American School. Indian officials did not rule out the possibility of a "tit-for-tat" response by Islamabad in the form of recall of children of Pakistan diplomats from India."It is a normal practice for all countries to review staffing and related policies for their diplomatic missions, including in view of prevailing circumstances at those stations. With effect from this academic session, officials posted in the High Commission of India in Islamabad have been advised to make arrangements for education of their wards outside Pakistan, till further notice," said MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup. Officials, however, added that the decision had been taken in 2015 so that diplomatic staff had sufficient time to make alternative arrangements.After thein Pakistan over alleged Indian atrocities in Kashmir, the Indian government had appealed to Pakistan to strengthen security for Indian officials stationed there."In view of the threats of marches and protests at the high commission of India in Islamabad, we ask the government of Pakistan to ensure full safety and security of the high commission, all its officials and their families in Pakistan," the government had said in a statement after Pakistan observed a "black day" and Kashmir's Accession to Pakistan Day.Sources here said the government didn't want to take any chance with more protests likely against India in Pakistan in the next few days. Some of these protests, which have openly called for jihad against India, have been led by UN-designated terrorists.At one such event on Sunday, the Mumbai attack accused and JuD chiefannounced that he will seek Indian visas for a JuD team, which planned to visit Kashmir. Pakistan continues to maintain that JuD is mostly involved in charity work and adept at providing relief to victims of natural disasters.Indian officials brushed aside reports about JuD seeking Indian visas as yet another provocative comment from Saeed. In any case, they have not yet approached Indian authorities for visas.One reason why India had to recall school kids from Pakistan, said sources here, was that the strife over Kashmir did not look like abating anytime soon. According to India, Pakistan, instead of toning down the rhetoric, has further aroused passion with its PM Nawaz Sharif declaring last week that one day Kashmir would become Pakistan.