Pakistan to skip WTO meeting in New Delhi

Pakistan has decided to stay away from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) meet in New Delhi next week in protest against alleged harassment of its diplomats in India. India last month invited Pakistan Commerce Minister Pervez Malik to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting, which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on March 19-20 and Islamabad had initially accepted the invitation.

Sources in the foreign ministry said the situation has changed after "repeated harassment of families of diplomats" and it was decided to skip the invitation. "We cannot send our commerce minister to India in the current situation and India has been informed about it," according to a source.

Trade ministers of over 50 nations including the US, China and Pakistan were invited by India to discuss issues related to agriculture and services.

The decision to stay away from WTO meeting in India coincided with the recalling of Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood. Mahmood arrived here on Friday evening for consultations after

Pakistan alleged repeated harassment of its diplomats in New Delhi. Meanwhile, Pakistan is weighing options to deal with the situation in the wake of calling back of its High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood from New Delhi due to alleged harassment of diplomats in India. Mahmood arrived here a day after the Foreign Office spokesman said that he was being summoned for consultation "due to nonstop harassment of families of the diplomats". Official sources in the foreign ministry said Mahmood will brief top officials about the situation. They said that options were on the table included not sending Mahmood to India for an indefinite period. Also, the officials rejected allegations that Indian diplomatic staff too were also facing hurdles and harassment in Pakistan.