After India denies visa to Pak official, Islamabad cries foul
The current trough in India-Pakistan ties is likely to continue with the 2 countries now locked in a face off over denial of visa by Indian authorities to a Pakistan foreign ministry official.
Even after the visa was formally denied last week, Islamabad refused to withdraw the application it had filed on behalf of the official saying that the denial by India was "unprecedented".
Pakistan wanted to post the official at its high commission here and had applied for a diplomatic assignment visa for him. Pakistan authorities have now taken up the issue with India saying this was unacceptable.
The official in question has not served in India before, a fact cited by Pakistan authorities to claim that India had no reason to deny him visa. The Pakistan high commission here has a sanctioned strength of 110 people and, according to Islamabad, the official's appointment was meant to fill in a position approved by India.
Sources here admitted that visa had been denied to the official but did not give any reason for the denial. It is learnt though that Indian authorities are in a peeve about the denial of visa last month to 2 yoga instructors whom the government had hired to lead the International Day of Yoga celebrations in Islamabad on June 21. According to Pakistan, the applications filed by India for the yoga instructors are still under consideration.
Pakistan has also alleged in its protest that parents and relatives of diplomats posted here are also being made to wait for months to get their visas. In some cases, the applications had to be withdrawn because of the delay.
Pakistan also raised the issue of what it described as maltreatment of its visiting citizens by Indian authorities. It took up the issue of Pakistani women being "harassed" by policemen in Jaipur despite they carrying valid visas and other travel documents.
The visa imbroglio is the latest in a series of undesirable events which have marred all attempts to impart even a semblance of normalcy in ties. Relations went into freefall after the release of Mumbai attacks mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, rendering ineffective PM Narendra Modi's successful outreach in March in the form of a visit by foreign secretary S Jaishankar to Islamabad.
Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said in her recent news conference that talks with Pakistan could take place only in an environment free of terror and that this "zone" could be created only if Pakistan took action against Lakhvi. The 2 countries were involved in another acrimonious exchange last week over elections in Gilgit-Baltistan which India described as an attempt by Islamabad to "camouflage its forcible and illegal occupation of the regions."
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If the Yoga instructor angle is true, it'd be comical trolling by India.
The current trough in India-Pakistan ties is likely to continue with the 2 countries now locked in a face off over denial of visa by Indian authorities to a Pakistan foreign ministry official.
Even after the visa was formally denied last week, Islamabad refused to withdraw the application it had filed on behalf of the official saying that the denial by India was "unprecedented".
Pakistan wanted to post the official at its high commission here and had applied for a diplomatic assignment visa for him. Pakistan authorities have now taken up the issue with India saying this was unacceptable.
The official in question has not served in India before, a fact cited by Pakistan authorities to claim that India had no reason to deny him visa. The Pakistan high commission here has a sanctioned strength of 110 people and, according to Islamabad, the official's appointment was meant to fill in a position approved by India.
Sources here admitted that visa had been denied to the official but did not give any reason for the denial. It is learnt though that Indian authorities are in a peeve about the denial of visa last month to 2 yoga instructors whom the government had hired to lead the International Day of Yoga celebrations in Islamabad on June 21. According to Pakistan, the applications filed by India for the yoga instructors are still under consideration.
Pakistan has also alleged in its protest that parents and relatives of diplomats posted here are also being made to wait for months to get their visas. In some cases, the applications had to be withdrawn because of the delay.
Pakistan also raised the issue of what it described as maltreatment of its visiting citizens by Indian authorities. It took up the issue of Pakistani women being "harassed" by policemen in Jaipur despite they carrying valid visas and other travel documents.
The visa imbroglio is the latest in a series of undesirable events which have marred all attempts to impart even a semblance of normalcy in ties. Relations went into freefall after the release of Mumbai attacks mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, rendering ineffective PM Narendra Modi's successful outreach in March in the form of a visit by foreign secretary S Jaishankar to Islamabad.
Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said in her recent news conference that talks with Pakistan could take place only in an environment free of terror and that this "zone" could be created only if Pakistan took action against Lakhvi. The 2 countries were involved in another acrimonious exchange last week over elections in Gilgit-Baltistan which India described as an attempt by Islamabad to "camouflage its forcible and illegal occupation of the regions."
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If the Yoga instructor angle is true, it'd be comical trolling by India.
![[Bregs]](/data/avatars/m/148/148509.jpg?1491816884){kind=avatar}
, this is what happens when relations are at low time low between two countries
