Pakistan high commission alleged that the children of a diplomat were harassed by Indian authorities. India had offered to get the charges made by Pakistani diplomats investigated, sources said. A source said Indian diplomats in Islamabad were being regularly tailed and intimidated

by Sachin Parashar

NEW DELHI: Pakistan yet again approached the external affairs ministry on Friday and accused the Indian officials of intimidating the children of a senior diplomat while they were on their way to school.

In a note verbale, the Pakistan high commission alleged that the children were harassed and blocked by Indian authorities while they were on their way to the British School.

While India did not respond to the official communication from the Pakistan mission, government sources here said they had already offered to get such charges made by Pakistani diplomats investigated.However, a source here said Indian diplomats in Islamabad were being regularly tailed and intimidated.

"It's a normal affair for an Indian diplomat to get blocked in the middle of the road," said a source here.In the new note verbale Pakistan issued on Tuesday, it said the counsellor's car with his children on board was hit from behind by another car occupied by Indian authorities.

Pakistan also warned that such aggressive blocking of cars on roads will not just endanger the lives of Pakistani diplomats, but also cause a major road accident.Another diplomat is said to have had his car tailed while on his way home Thursday evening.

Pakistan also summoned Indian deputy high commissioner JP Singh to register a protest.Singh reiterated India's concerns over the treatment meted out to Indian diplomats in Islamabad.

"This deliberate bullying is not confined to a single isolated event, but continues unabated in a series of incidents, especially targeting the children of our officers and staff," Pakistan said in a statement, recalling at least 5 instances of alleged harassment by Indian officials in the past 24 hours.

In a new low for ties, India-Pakistan relations are currently caught in a vicious cycle of reprisals which was initiated because of, as Indian authorities say, a raid on a residential complex for Indian diplomats by ISI in Islamabad.

The issue was discussed at length in a meeting between Indian foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale.While Mahmood said that Pakistani diplomats and other staff had faced intimidation on at least 18 occasions between March 7 and 9, Gokhale strongly made the point that Indian diplomats were being subjected to far worse treatment in Islamabad.

Pakistan wants India to sign a protocol which, it says, will allow both sides to carry out construction work smoothly. For India, it is important that its diplomats in Islamabad are not discriminated against and denied membership of the prestigious Islamabad Club.