Unprecedented level of harassment at @serena_hotels Islamabad. #India embassy iftaar happening & police & anti terr… https://t.co/oMjpsZlnCc — Mehreen Zahra-Malik (@mehreenzahra) 1559401858000

Came to Serena for iftar hosted by Indian HC. Hotel seems barricaded. Told that iftar cancelled. When insisted, I w… https://t.co/0gmZmUxtOK — Farhatullah Babar (@FarhatullahB) 1559395889000

NEW DELHI: India on Sunday lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the " gross intimidation" of guests invited to the Indian High Commission's Iftar party in Islamabad, saying it violated "all notions of civilized behaviour"."The disappointing chain of events on June 1 not only violate basic norms of diplomatic conduct but are against all notions of civilized behaviour," a statement from the Indian High Commission here said."Stopping diplomats and officials of the High Commission of India in Pakistan from discharging their diplomatic functions by intimidation and coercion is entirely counter-productive for our bilateral relationship," the statement said.The denouncement comes a day after guests invited to the Indian High Commission's Iftar party faced "unprecedented level of harassment" due to enhanced security checks by the Pakistani officials who stopped some invitees on one pretext or other."The security forces stationed on the main road outside Hotel Serena rudely rebuffed and intimated officers and diplomatic staff of the High Commission of India who tried to ascertain from the security personnel the reasons for harassment of the guests," the statement said."Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phones belonging to officials were snatched."The statement said: "Guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies."It said a concerted campaign was launched by Pakistani security agencies in the days preceding the iftar to reach out to invitees to actively dissuade them from attending the event."Those guests who did reach the function venue, in some cases from places as far as Lahore and Karachi, were intimidated and physically stopped from attending the iftar by Pakistani security forces, who had virtually laid the Serena Hotel under siege."Further, many guests from the diplomatic community based in Islamabad were also subjected to harassment."In complete violation of diplomatic norms, a large Pakistani security detachment, equipped with forklifts, was detailed outside Serena Hotel to aggressively turn away Pakistani civilians."In some cases, cars used by invitees were lifted and removed using forklifts. The more than 300 esteemed Pakistani guests who were turned away included MPs, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials and businessmen and retired diplomats, in addition to citizens from all walks of life."The High Commission said India has lodged a protest with Pakistan over the gross intimidation of guests.The mission urged the Pakistani government to "urgently investigate these ugly events and share the results of the exercise with it."Further, we have emphasized to the government of Pakistan the need to ensure that diplomats and officials of the High Commission of India are allowed to discharge their diplomatic functions without fear of coercion or harassment."A journalist said that he saw more than usual security presence but those having invitation cards and identity documents were allowed to attend."My invitation card was checked and I was asked questions about profession and residence, and allowed to go in," he said."Unprecedented level of harassment at @serena_hotels Islamabad. #India embassy iftaar happening & police & anti terrorism force misbehaving with anyone trying into get in the hotel. Got screamed at, my driver abused. Sorry, not being an entitled prick. This was genuine harassment," tweeted noted journalist Mehreen Zahra-Malik.Another journalist, on condition of anonymity, told PTI that he did not attend as he feared about questioning and security checks.He also said that there were reports that some invitees were called by anonymous callers and told not to attend the event.Senior Pakistan People's Party leader Farhatullah Babar said that every gaze deflected towards odd visitors in hotel's lobby."Came to Serena for iftar hosted by Indian HC. Hotel seems barricaded. Told that iftar cancelled. When insisted, I was told to use other gate. Other gate also closed and told to go back to front gate again. What's going on, something fishy," he tweeted.Babar said that he somehow managed to attend the Indian mission's iftar despite efforts by the local authorities to stop invitees on one pretext or other.National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah dubbed the incident “stupid tit for tat diplomacy”.“Stupid tit for tat diplomacy. It was stupid when we did it outside the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi & it's stupid when it's done outside our's in Islamabad. Now that it's 1-1 perhaps it's time to move on & stop this nonsense,” Omar wrote on Twitter.India has not been engaging with Pakistan following the attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.Tensions flared up between the two sides after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.