MEA summons Pakistan envoy, demands return of two missing Indian High Commission officials

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday (June 15) summoned Pakistan's Charge d'affaires to India Syed Hyder Shah after two officials of Indian High Commission in Islamabad went missing. In the demarche, it was made clear to the Pakistani CDA that there should be no interrogation or harassment of the Indian officials and the responsibility for their safety and security lay squarely with the Pakistani authorities, PTI quoted sources as saying.

The sources added that Indian also asked Pakistan to ensure the return of two Indian officials along with the official car to Indian High Commission in Islamabad immediately.

Pakistani media reported that two Indian staffers, who went missing on Monday morning, were arrested by Pakistani authorities for their alleged involvement in a 'hit and run accident'.

The two Indian High Commission officials in Pakistan have been missing since over 9 hours now, at the time of filing the report. Earlier in the day, the Indian envoy in Pakistan confirmed the development and said that the matter has been taken up with Islamabad. 

It is learnt that both the Indian High Commission staffers were CISF drivers and they went missing at around 8:30 am while they were out on duty in Islamabad.

The development comes a few days after India had expelled two Pakistani High Commission officials in Delhi after they were caught red-handed for spying against India. The two Pakistani officials worked in the visa section of the High Commission in New Delhi.

On May 31, the Indian authorities had nabbed two Pakistani High Commission officials in Delhi's Karol Bagh while they were trying to source a sensitive document. For this act of espionage, India had declared them as persona non grata and both were sent back to Islamabad on June 1.

It is alleged that the two had assumed fake Indian identities. The authorities had also recovered a fake Aadhaar card by the name of Nasir Gotam, resident of Geeta colony from them. Also, two Apple iPhone and Rs 15,000 in cash were recovered by the authorities.

The two officials, Abdi Hussain Abid, aged 42 and Tahir Khan, aged 44 had come in a Pakistani diplomatic car. After probe it was revealed that the Pakistan High Commission was in the process of selling the car.

Earlier on June 5, it was reported that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been harassing and intimidating India’s top diplomat in Islamabad. The report stated that ISI had stationed multiple persons in cars and bikes outside his residence to harass and intimidate him.