New Delhi: India Monday asked Pakistan to “immediately” return the two officials of the Indian High Commission who have reportedly been arrested in the country. Until then, New Delhi is believed to have told Islamabad, the responsibility of the officials’ safety and security lies “squarely with the Pakistani authorities.”
According to official sources, Pakistan Charge d’Affaires (CDA) in India, Syed Haider Shah, who is also currently the acting high commissioner, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Monday and issued a demarche on the arrest of two Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad.
The demarche to the Pakistan CDA, the sources said, made it clear that “there should be no interrogation or harassment of the Indian officials”.
Also Read: India’s escalation worked against Pakistan, time for similar response to China
Were reported missing earlier
The Army had stated earlier Monday that two Indian High Commission officials had been missing since early morning, and that the matter had been taken up with the Pakistani authorities.
According to sources, both the officials belong to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a central police force, and were on deputation with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
Sources had said earlier Monday that the two officials seemed to have been picked up by Pakistani security agencies as the movement of Indian vehicles and staff are always under the observation of Pakistani intelligence personnel.
It was subsequently reported by media in Pakistan that the two have been arrested for a hit-and-run involving a local resident. The detention of the officials, however, was widely seen as a tit-for-tat move by the Imran Khan-government as it comes a fortnight after India expelled two Pakistan High Commission officials — Abid Hussain and Muhammad Tahir — caught on espionage charges.
Also Read: Discovery of Pakistan – How Modi & Shah have dramatically re-hyphenated India with Pakistan