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Official Spokesperson:
Good evening everybody. This is to inform you about
developments relating to Pakistan. This evening, the
Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan was summoned by
Shri Dilip Sinha, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of
External Affairs this evening. It was officially
conveyed to him that Syed Muhammad Rafique Ahmed,
Counsellor in the High Commission of Pakistan in New
Delhi, had been involved in activities incompatible
with his diplomatic status. The Government of India
has, therefore, declared him persona non grata.
Mr. Ahmed has been asked to leave India by August 7,
2006.
During the meeting, Shri Dilip Sinha lodged a strong
protest against the outrageous treatment meted out
to Shri Deepak Kaul, Counsellor of the High
Commission of India, Islamabad by agencies of the
Government of Pakistan, and categorically rejected
allegations that Shri Kaul was engaged in activities
incompatible with his diplomatic status. The officer
was not in possession of any sensitive documents
allegedly handed over to him by a so-called contact.
These must have obviously been planted on him in
order to falsely implicate him.
Shri Kaul had left Islamabad early this morning to
go to Amritsar, by road, to fetch his family. As
required by the Government of Pakistan, he had
obtained written permission for his travel. At 7.30
a.m., about 90 kms. from Lahore, he was stopped by
Pakistani security agencies and taken, hooded and
handcuffed, to some unidentified location where he
was interrogated intermittently for about five
hours. Thereafter he was brought to the Pakistan
Foreign Ministry and our High Commission was
informed of his being declared persona non grata.
The High Commission was also informed that Shri Kaul
should leave Pakistan by August 7, 2006. The
diplomat was then handed over to our High
Commission.
Shri Dilip Sinha
pointed out to the Deputy High Commissioner that the
actions of the Government of Pakistan were in
blatant violation of the Vienna Convention as well
as the Code of Conduct for Treatment of
Diplomatic/Consular Personnel in India and Pakistan
1992. Such action could not but undermine the
bilateral relations between the two countries.
Shri Deepak Kaul is safe and the High Commission of
India is arranging for his return to India by August
7, 2006.
Question: The Pakistan Foreign Office
spokesperson said that Pakistan wanted to keep it
(the incident) under wraps but Indian officials gave
out the information….
Official Spokesperson: That is absolutely
incorrect. The information first came out on Geo TV
this afternoon and it was based on a detailed
briefing, as was said, by Pakistani intelligence
sources. Things cannot be more blatant than that.
Question: What happens now to the tentative
road map that was there?
Official Spokesperson: I do not want to
indulge in any hypothetical guess work at this time.
I have told you the action that has been taken. But,
if I can broadly respond to your question, I will
only say that such action as has been taken by the
Government of Pakistan cannot but undermine the
bilateral relations between the two countries.
Question: This is the first time since after
the peace talks that such a kind of major setback
has happened…
Official Spokesperson: I do not want to get
into any categorization but if you are asking me
whether an officer of this level has been declared
persona non grata after the dialogue process
started, the answer is ‘yes’.
Question: What are the specific charges
against Rafique Ahmed?
Official Spokesperson: I have just said that.
He was indulging in activities incompatible with his
diplomatic status.
Thank you.
New Delhi,
Aug 5, 2006 |
