Pak envoy won’t return till issues are resolved

Although it was initially thought high commissioner Mahmood would return to New Delhi after briefing the Pakistan foreign office about the situation, officials said several options were currently being considered. Pakistan could declare New Delhi a “non-family” posting or Mahmood could be asked not to return for an “indefinite period,” they said.

The diplomatic spat erupted just as the two sides announced they had agreed on the release of women, mentally challenged and elderly prisoners. Pakistan had also accepted India’s invitation to attend the informal WTO ministerial meeting to discuss an open and inclusive trading system.

Pakistan’s commerce minister Malik, had been expected to meet his Indian counterpart Suresh Prabhu, but Islamabad decided to boycott the meeting following the row over the harassment of diplomats. “We cannot send our commerce minister to India in the current situation and India has been informed about it,” PTI cited an unidentified official as saying.

The Tribune also reported that 500 Pakistanis were not granted visas by the Indian mission for travelling to India on March 18 to attend the annual Urs of Sufi saint Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer. The report said this was the second time this year that India had denied visas to Pakistani pilgrims.

THE DIPLOMATIC SPAT ERUPTED JUST AS THE TWO SIDES ANNOUNCED THEY HAD AGREED ON THE RELEASE OF WOMEN, MENTALLY CHALLENGED AND ELDERLY PRISONERS