Islamabad, Nov 09: Irked by the posting of several
Indian-origin diplomats by the United States and Britain in
their embassies in this country, Pakistan has reportedly asked
Washington and London to avoid appointing such officials to
"sensitive posts".
"There is a major concern in the official quarters in
Islamabad over the appointment of growing number of diplomats
of Indian origin to sensitive positions at the us embassy and
to a lesser degree at the British High Commission in
Islamabad," Pakistani officials were quoted as saying by the
Dawn newspaper.
It said the officials were not "hesitant" to
acknowledge that the issue of posting Indian-origin diplomats
has emerged as an "irritant" and "friendly discussions" were
underway to resolve it "amicably".
"It is work in progress and they have taken note of
our concerns," it said quoting the officials.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri raised the
issue with the heads of the US and the UK missions a few
months ago, the daily said, adding there have been discussions
on this at the diplomatic level in Washington and London.
"While Pakistan is aware that it cannot dictate the
personnel policies of other countries, it is trying to
sensitise them to its legitimate concerns," it said.
When asked for her reaction to the report, Pakistan
Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said she has
to "check" whether the issue has been taken up with the
countries.
India does not permit officials of Pakistani origin
to serve in any of the foreign missions in India, where as
Pakistan has been accepting officials of Indian origin to
serve in foreign missions in Islamabad, she told reporters here.
Bureau Report
