Pakistan lodges protest with India over diplomat manhandling

Pakistan Tuesday summoned a senior Indian diplomat and lodged protest over the manhandling of its diplomat in New Delhi, state media reported. Officials said that Pakistan's First Secretary (Trade) Zargam Raza and his driver Haider were beaten up by a group of men while they were returning home from the High Commission Monday evening. "Pakistan has demanded impartial inquiry into the incident and bringing the culprits to book," radio Pakistan reported. "Indian Deputy High Commissioner was told that the incident was violation of the Vienna Convention on protection of diplomats," it said. Pakistan has also asked India to provide protection to its diplomats. Indian External Affairs Secretary telephoned his Pakistani counterpart, Jalil Abbas Jilani, and apologised over the mistreatment of a Pakistani diplomat in New Delhi. He said that one culprit has been apprehended and the incident is being investigated. Pakistan's High Commission spokesman Manzoor Ali Memon told journalists in New Dehli on Monday that two men on a motorbike hurled abuses at the diplomat. When Raza objected, he was thrashed by some men. Both he and his driver suffered serious injuries, the Foreign Office spokesman said. Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani conveyed Pakistan's concerns to his Indian counterpart over the mistreatment of its diplomat in New Delhi, official sources said. According to sources, the Indian foreign secretary assured Islamabad that a thorough investigation of the incident would be carried out by Indian authorities. The secretary also assured that security for Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi would be tightened to ensure any such incidents do not recur in the future. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that the driver of the Pakistani diplomat and the motorcyclist had an altercation and reportedly a scuffle ensued wherein the Pakistan High Commission driver and the diplomat suffered minor injuries. Indian police responded promptly to calls for assistance and escorted the diplomat to safety from the crowd of onlookers who had gathered at the site of incident, the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement. The police extended the Pakistan High Commission official due courtesies and escorted them to a nearby trauma centre and offered medical assistance and examination, it said, adding the Pakistani diplomat and his driver were later escorted back. The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the penal code against the motorcyclist and the woman passenger, who have been arrested, the Indian foreign ministry said.