New Delhi circumventing effect of downgrading diplomatic relations says Pakistan
New Delhi, Sep 21: The Pakistan government has defended its decision to deny a visa to Jayant Khobragade, who New Delhi wanted to appoint as the acting envoy to Islamabad.
Pakistan said that New Delhi is trying to circumvent the effect of downgrading diplomatic relations between the two nations by proposing to appoint a senior diplomat, who had already served as New Delhi's ambassador to another country, as the a ting head of the High Commission of India in Islamabad.
Khobragade who had joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1995 had served as a counsellor in the High Commission of India in Islamabad earlier. He had also served in the Indian mission in Russia and Spain. He was the ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic between 2013 and 2017.
Pakistan persecutes, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians: India at Geneva
Islamabad said it had blocked the move by the New Delhi to appoint him as the acting envoy to Pakistan, while citing his seniority.
Keeping in view the diplomatic norms, Pakistan has counselled India to nominate an official er with senior commensurate with Pakistan's decision of downgrading diplomatic relations, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan said.
Recommended Video
The high commissions of India and Pakistan in each other's capitals are now headed by acting envoys. India and Pakistan had further downgraded diplomatic relations in June and had withdrawn half of the officials posted in the high commissions of the respective countries.