India seeks probe in harassment of Indian diplomats in Pakistan

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/voting-held-in-peaceful-manner-says-sheikh-hasina-supporting-ec-rejecting-vote-rigging-complaints-187553">Bangladesh polls: Voting held in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/voting-held-in-peaceful-manner-says-sheikh-hasina-supporting-ec-rejecting-vote-rigging-complaints-187553">peaceful</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/voting-held-in-peaceful-manner-says-sheikh-hasina-supporting-ec-rejecting-vote-rigging-complaints-187553"> manner, says PM Hasina as election commission rejects </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/voting-held-in-peaceful-manner-says-sheikh-hasina-supporting-ec-rejecting-vote-rigging-complaints-187553">call</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/voting-held-in-peaceful-manner-says-sheikh-hasina-supporting-ec-rejecting-vote-rigging-complaints-187553"> for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/voting-held-in-peaceful-manner-says-sheikh-hasina-supporting-ec-rejecting-vote-rigging-complaints-187553">re poll</a>

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday rejected opposition complaints of vote rigging and said people had gone to the polls enthusiastically in a largely peacefully general election that her ruling alliance swept with a landslide.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indian-diplomats-harassed-after-being-questioned-on-road-now-electricity-cut-for-4-hours-in-peak-winter-187521">Indian diplomats harassed: After being questioned on road, now electricity cut for 4 hours in peak winter</a>

After being questioned on the road for 30 minutes in Peshawar by Pakistani security agencies, another incident of harassment of Indian diplomats in Pakistan has come to fore.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/1984-anti-sikh-riots-case-ex-congress-leader-sajjan-kumar-surrenders-before-delhis-karkardooma-court-187501">1984 anti-Sikh riots case: Ex-Congress leader Sajjan Kumar surrenders in Delhi court, to be lodged in Mandoli jail</a>

Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on Monday surrendered before a court here to serve the life sentence awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in connection with a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/4-dead-dozens-missing-after-gas-explosion-hits-russia-high-rise-187531">4 dead, dozens missing after gas explosion hits Russia high-rise</a>

Four people were killed and nearly 70 unaccounted for after a gas explosion tore through a residential building in Russia on Monday, leaving hundreds without a home in freezing temperatures on New Year's Eve.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/smriti-mandhana-wins-icc-womens-cricketer-of-the-year-187494">India's Smriti Mandhana wins ICC women's cricketer and ODI player of the year</a>

India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year and also named as ICC Women's ODI Player of the Year.&nbsp;

Bangladesh polls: Voting held in peaceful manner, says PM Hasina as election commission rejects call for re poll Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday rejected opposition complaints of vote rigging and said people had gone to the polls enthusiastically in a largely peacefully general election that her ruling alliance swept with a landslide.

Bangladesh polls: Voting held in peaceful manner, says PM Hasina as election commission rejects call for re poll Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday rejected opposition complaints of vote rigging and said people had gone to the polls enthusiastically in a largely peacefully general election that her ruling alliance swept with a landslide. Indian diplomats harassed: After being questioned on road, now electricity cut for 4 hours in peak winter After being questioned on the road for 30 minutes in Peshawar by Pakistani security agencies, another incident of harassment of Indian diplomats in Pakistan has come to fore. 1984 anti-Sikh riots case: Ex-Congress leader Sajjan Kumar surrenders in Delhi court, to be lodged in Mandoli jail Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on Monday surrendered before a court here to serve the life sentence awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in connection with a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. 4 dead, dozens missing after gas explosion hits Russia high-rise Four people were killed and nearly 70 unaccounted for after a gas explosion tore through a residential building in Russia on Monday, leaving hundreds without a home in freezing temperatures on New Year's Eve. India's Smriti Mandhana wins ICC women's cricketer and ODI player of the year India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year and also named as ICC Women's ODI Player of the Year.

News brief: Big stories of the day

After being questioned on the road for 30 minutes in Peshawar by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indian-diplomats-in-pakistan-harassed-again-questioned-for-nearly-half-an-hour-186781">Pakistani security agencies,</a> another incident of harassment of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/harassment-of-indian-diplomats-returns-in-islamabad-185684">Indian diplomats</a> in Pakistan has come to fore.

This time electricity was cut for four hours at the residence of the second secretary in Islamabad on 25th December causing inconvenience to the family members of the diplomat along with kids.

This the first time that family members of Indian diplomats have been impacted by the ongoing harassment of Indian diplomats. The problem is compounded by the fact that it is peak winter in the Pakistani capital which is nestled in the foothills of Himalayas.&nbsp;

The power was cut for four hours from 7 am to 10.45 am and the matter was raised with Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

WAPDA is the government-owned public utility which maintains power and water in Pakistan. The diplomat also made a telephonic complaint with WAPDA. It may be noted that there was no electrical fault at the residence and power supply was cut off only at his residence.

India has raised the matter with Islamabad with a note verbale being sent on December 27. India asked the Pakistani foreign ministry to "direct the relevant authorities to ensure that such incident do not recur". This is not for the first time electricity is cut at the house of Indian diplomats in Islamabad this month.

This is the 3rd major incidents of harassment of Indian diplomats reported. On&nbsp;December 10 someone tried to enter in the house of an Indian diplomat, on December 21 Indian High commission team was harassed in Peshawar on a road for 30 minutes. &nbsp;

The Indian officials were returning from Qissa Khwani Bazar and nearby places to Hotel pearl continental when their vehicle was stopped by 2 agency officials who were following them on a motorbike. &nbsp;

Other instances of harassment include no gas connection in new residences, hostile questioning of guests at receptions and internet being cut. WION was the first to report on the Indian diplomats being harassed in Pakistan earlier this month.

Pakistani side has also reported issues with gas and water suppliers being barred for 6 days to Pakistani staff in its mission in Delhi. Sources on the Indian side speaking to WION have said, "we leave up to you to decide who is harassing who. Our side facing issues while Pakistani diplomats are living comfortably".

In March of 2018, Indian and Pakistani diplomats had reported harassment and after weeks of talking at a higher level, both sides agreed to resolve the matter.

On March 30, 2018, India and Pakistan issued press statements saying they have mutually agreed to resolve matters related to the treatment of diplomats in line with the 1992 Code of Conduct for the treatment of diplomatic/consular personnel in India and Pakistan.&nbsp;

The functioning of diplomatic missions between India and Pakistan is governed by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 and the bilateral Code of Conduct signed by the two countries in 1992.

India, Pakistan code of conduct of 1992 says safety and security of the premises of diplomatic personnel, their families shall be respected and protected. It also says intrusive and aggressive surveillance such as verbal and physical harassment shall not be allowed.

After being questioned on the road for 30 minutes in Peshawar by Pakistani security agencies, another incident of harassment of Indian diplomats in Pakistan has come to fore.

After being questioned on the road for 30 minutes in Peshawar by Pakistani security agencies, another incident of harassment of Indian diplomats in Pakistan has come to fore. This time electricity was cut for four hours at the residence of the second secretary in Islamabad on 25th December causing inconvenience to the family members of the diplomat along with kids. This the first time that family members of Indian diplomats have been impacted by the ongoing harassment of Indian diplomats. The problem is compounded by the fact that it is peak winter in the Pakistani capital which is nestled in the foothills of Himalayas. The power was cut for four hours from 7 am to 10.45 am and the matter was raised with Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). WAPDA is the government-owned public utility which maintains power and water in Pakistan. The diplomat also made a telephonic complaint with WAPDA. It may be noted that there was no electrical fault at the residence and power supply was cut off only at his residence. India has raised the matter with Islamabad with a note verbale being sent on December 27. India asked the Pakistani foreign ministry to "direct the relevant authorities to ensure that such incident do not recur". This is not for the first time electricity is cut at the house of Indian diplomats in Islamabad this month. This is the 3rd major incidents of harassment of Indian diplomats reported. On December 10 someone tried to enter in the house of an Indian diplomat, on December 21 Indian High commission team was harassed in Peshawar on a road for 30 minutes. The Indian officials were returning from Qissa Khwani Bazar and nearby places to Hotel pearl continental when their vehicle was stopped by 2 agency officials who were following them on a motorbike. Other instances of harassment include no gas connection in new residences, hostile questioning of guests at receptions and internet being cut. WION was the first to report on the Indian diplomats being harassed in Pakistan earlier this month. Pakistani side has also reported issues with gas and water suppliers being barred for 6 days to Pakistani staff in its mission in Delhi. Sources on the Indian side speaking to WION have said, "we leave up to you to decide who is harassing who. Our side facing issues while Pakistani diplomats are living comfortably". In March of 2018, Indian and Pakistani diplomats had reported harassment and after weeks of talking at a higher level, both sides agreed to resolve the matter. On March 30, 2018, India and Pakistan issued press statements saying they have mutually agreed to resolve matters related to the treatment of diplomats in line with the 1992 Code of Conduct for the treatment of diplomatic/consular personnel in India and Pakistan. The functioning of diplomatic missions between India and Pakistan is governed by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 and the bilateral Code of Conduct signed by the two countries in 1992. India, Pakistan code of conduct of 1992 says safety and security of the premises of diplomatic personnel, their families shall be respected and protected. It also says intrusive and aggressive surveillance such as verbal and physical harassment shall not be allowed.

Indian diplomats harassed: After being questioned on road, now electricity cut for 4 hours in peak winter

India on Friday dismissed as &quot;totally speculative and nonsensical&quot; a Pakistani media report that the two countries were planning to temporarily recall their high commissioners amid deteriorating ties.

A report in Pakistani daily &quot;Express Tribune&quot; had claimed that the two countries were planning to recall their high commissioners and scale down the size of diplomatic staff in each other&#39;s missions after the latest diplomatic spat over last week&#39;s spying episode.&nbsp;

On November 3, a Pakistan High Commission staffer, Mehmood Akhtar, was detained for questioning and later expelled from the country for alleged espionage.

&nbsp;Pakistan subsequently pulled out six high commission staffers based in India.

&nbsp;The diplomatic warfare between the two countries has increased since then.&nbsp;

The Express Tribune report had claimed that after the incident, India, using a statement Delhi police extracted from Akhtar through &quot;coercive means&quot;, implicated other Pakistani staffers and leaked the identities of atleast six such officials to the Indian media, prompting Pakistan to withdraw them from New Delhi.

The Pakistani daily had said that an official said that India had breached an &lsquo;understanding&rsquo; by revealing the identities of the Pakistani officials posted in New Delhi. The official claimed that both sides knew that certain officials worked under cover and they did so with the full official knowledge.

India yesterday rejected Pakistan&#39;s allegations that eight Indian high commission officials were agents of India&#39;s intelligence agencies and were involved in terrorist activities in Balochistan and Sindh.

It is considering the withdrawal of the eight diplomats from Islamabad because of the manner in which their names and photos were published by Pakistani media, PTI reported citing sources.&nbsp;

The sources add that these diplomats are likely to return by Sunday.

India&#39;s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup slammed Pakistan for making the names of the high commission officials public, saying that &quot;their safety and security had been completely compromised.

Pakistan had claimed that these Indian officials were involved in &quot;espionage, subversion and supporting terrorist activities in Balochistan and Sindh, especially Karachi, sabotaging China Pakistan Economic Corridor, and fuelling instability in the two provinces&quot;.

Reacting sharply to Pakistan&#39;s charge, Vikas Swarup said the allegations against Indian officials represented an &quot;after-thought&quot; and a &quot;crude attempt&quot; to target them after the Pakistan High Commission staffer was expelled for espionage.

&quot;We completely reject the baseless and unsubstantiated allegations made by Pakistan against certain officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.&nbsp;

The Government categorically denies those allegations.

&quot;It is especially regrettable that Pakistani authorities have chosen to level these allegations after deciding to recall, on their own, six officials of the Pakistan High Commission, some of whom may have been named to Indian authorities by Mehmood Akhtar - Pakistan High Commission official caught red-handed,&quot; Swarup had said. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The deterioration in bilateral relations is a result of the neighbours accusing each other's high commission officials of espionage

India on Friday dismissed as "totally speculative and nonsensical" a Pakistani media report that the two countries were planning to temporarily recall their high commissioners amid deteriorating ties. A report in Pakistani daily "Express Tribune" had claimed that the two countries were planning to recall their high commissioners and scale down the size of diplomatic staff in each other's missions after the latest diplomatic spat over last week's spying episode. On November 3, a Pakistan High Commission staffer, Mehmood Akhtar, was detained for questioning and later expelled from the country for alleged espionage. Pakistan subsequently pulled out six high commission staffers based in India. The diplomatic warfare between the two countries has increased since then. The Express Tribune report had claimed that after the incident, India, using a statement Delhi police extracted from Akhtar through "coercive means", implicated other Pakistani staffers and leaked the identities of atleast six such officials to the Indian media, prompting Pakistan to withdraw them from New Delhi. The Pakistani daily had said that an official said that India had breached an ‘understanding’ by revealing the identities of the Pakistani officials posted in New Delhi. The official claimed that both sides knew that certain officials worked under cover and they did so with the full official knowledge. India yesterday rejected Pakistan's allegations that eight Indian high commission officials were agents of India's intelligence agencies and were involved in terrorist activities in Balochistan and Sindh. It is considering the withdrawal of the eight diplomats from Islamabad because of the manner in which their names and photos were published by Pakistani media, PTI reported citing sources. The sources add that these diplomats are likely to return by Sunday. India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup slammed Pakistan for making the names of the high commission officials public, saying that "their safety and security had been completely compromised. Pakistan had claimed that these Indian officials were involved in "espionage, subversion and supporting terrorist activities in Balochistan and Sindh, especially Karachi, sabotaging China Pakistan Economic Corridor, and fuelling instability in the two provinces". Reacting sharply to Pakistan's charge, Vikas Swarup said the allegations against Indian officials represented an "after-thought" and a "crude attempt" to target them after the Pakistan High Commission staffer was expelled for espionage. "We completely reject the baseless and unsubstantiated allegations made by Pakistan against certain officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The Government categorically denies those allegations. "It is especially regrettable that Pakistani authorities have chosen to level these allegations after deciding to recall, on their own, six officials of the Pakistan High Commission, some of whom may have been named to Indian authorities by Mehmood Akhtar - Pakistan High Commission official caught red-handed," Swarup had said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India dismisses Pakistan daily's report about recalling each other's high commissioners