An incident report shared with the ministry of external affairs says that Pakistani deputy high commissioner's children were stopped and harassed on their way to school in New Delhi. (Photo for representation)

Harassment of diplomats and their families has triggered the latest fracas between India and Pakistan. Pakistans ministry of foreign affairs (MOFA) has lodged a strong protest with the Indian high commissioner (IHC) in Islamabad over alleged increasing incidents of harassment its diplomats are facing in India.

While assuring action, sources in Delhi spelt out to India Today TV the tremendous harassment that Indian diplomats have been facing continuously in Islamabad, particularly in the last year and have pursued the matter with Pak authorities with quiet and persistent diplomacy.

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In a demarche to the Indian high commission in Islamabad and the external affairs ministry in Delhi, Pakistan has raised serious reservations and concerns over the safety and security of its staffers and their families in India, threatening to pull out the families if the alleged coercion did not stop.

It is becoming difficult for the Pakistani diplomats posted in India to keep their families with them due to increase in harassment incidents. Harassment of families will not be tolerated, said an official from the Pakistani MOFA.

Indo-Pak relations have been tense and aggravated because of ceasefire violations along the working boundary and the Line of Control (LoC). And the toughening of stand on either side has left the diplomats vulnerable and exposed to such persecution, observers say.

The incident report shared with the ministry of external affairs says that children of Pakistani deputy high commissioner were stopped and harassed on their way to school, while a senior diplomat was harassed while moving to Delhi.

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Sources say the Pakistan high commission staff has not received milk for the past 20 days. Also, diplomatic vehicles were allegedly being stopped on different pretexts and searched.

Such vehicles have also reported various accidents while members of the diplomatic staff have also been purportedly abused in public. Sources in the India government confirmed the note verbale issued by Pakistan and promised action.

The Pakistan high commission has brought to the MEAs notice some incidents of alleged harassment over the last few days. These will no doubt be investigated. India makes all efforts to provide a safe, secure and hospitable environment for diplomats to work in, a source said.

India Today TV has learnt that on February 16, the high commissioner of India met the foreign secretary of Pakistan to lodge a strong protest against multiple acts of hooliganism against Indian properties and personnel.

A source said, Indias residential complex in Islamabad was raided by Pakistan agencies that expelled all Pakistani service providers and later disconnected power and water supply.

Despite Pakistani foreign secretarys assurance, the power supply was not restored for over two weeks. Also, several Indian high commission staffers have allegedly been severely harassed and intimidated.

In one case an officials home was broken into and laptop stolen. On one instance, Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisarias car was allegedly stopped by Pak agencies in the middle of a busy road to prevent him from attending an event.

Aggressive surveillance, violation of physical space and tailing of officers in close and dangerous proximity is a perennial issue. Agency personnel allegedly keep shooting videos of the Indian officers, thrusting phones on their faces.

Obscene phone calls and messages are constantly received on phones, they say While Pakistani diplomats bring their children to India, last year India in an act of downgrading relations with Pakistan after the dipping of ties and according to sources due to increased security threat, decided that diplomats children of school-going age will not be sent to Islamabad, making Pakistan only a quasifamily posting. Most diplomats with children in schools leave their kids and spouses behind.

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