India, Pakistan back to bickering after Mohali bonhomie

Apr 01, 2011 |

New Delhi/Islamabad

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India and Pakistan had a brief bout of acrimony with both complaining that a staffer each posted at their diplomatic missions in Islamabad and New Delhi respectively were detained by the host country and later let off.

While Pakistan today claimed that a driver of its mission in New Delhi was 'arrested' for unspecified reasons on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs took up the matter of a 'missing' Indian High Commission official in Islamabad.

"A driver from the High Commission was arrested. (He) has been released. We have protested," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua told PTI in Islamabad, without giving details.

However, sources in New Delhi said that on Wednesday evening a Pakistani High Commission driver was seen near the Chandigarh cantonment area and when confronted, he tried to escape.

"In the process, he sustained some bruises/injury on his knee and back. He was questioned and thereafter released. Before being released, a medical check-up was conducted which showed him in good health," sources told PTI.

Just hours after the incident, an official in Indian High Commission went 'missing' in Islamabad, sources said, adding there was no immediate official confirmation on his whereabouts from the Pakistan side.

However, the media reported detention of the Indian official, prompting Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to take up the matter with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir.

"Apart from Indian High Commission raising the issue with Pakistan Foreign Ministry in Islamabad, the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi took up the issue with Pakistan High Commission seeking the safety, security and well-being of the Indian official," sources said.

The official was later handed over to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, sources said.

Though the sources did not divulge the name of the Indian official, some reports identified him as Anand Sharma, working in the consular section of the High Commission.

The incident involving the Pakistani driver occurred at a time when the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan were in Mohali, holding 'extremely positive' conversation on the sidelines of the pulsating cricket World Cup semi-final between the two countries.

The incident of the Indian official was being seen as a tit-for-tat to the Chandigarh incident.

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