Pak. denies allegations

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 10. Pakistan has denied the allegations made by the Indian High Commission here that personnel of the Inter- Services Intelligence were involved in the abduction and beating up of one of its officials who was declared persona non grata and asked to leave the country.

A senior functionary of the Pakistan Foreign Office told the Deputy High Commissioner of the Indian mission, Mr. Sudhir Vyas, that there was no truth in the charge and the Pakistan Government had directed police to investigate the matter and find the culprits.

It is said that the local police have told the officials of the Indian mission that the abduction of Mr. Devendra Kumar Gupta could be due to `personal rivalry'.

Asked about the incident at the regular press briefing, the Foreign Office spokesman, Mr. Aziz Khan, described the Indian allegations as `baseless' and maintained that Pakistan had already conveyed the position to the Indian Government. A senior official in the Indian mission, however, maintained that the explanation by the Foreign Office that ISI functionaries were not involved meant that the law and order situation in the capital city was not good and that the diplomatic community was not safe.

The Indian High Commission official, who was expelled four days ago and picked up by unidentified persons on Thursday night, was released in the early hours of Friday after three hours of alleged physical and mental torture.

The High Commission had pointed fingers at the personnel of the Pakistan's ISI and lodged a strong protest with the Pakistan Government.

Mr. Gupta, an assistant in the Visa section was returning from a the Blue Area, a central market place, around 10.15 p.m. with his wife when eight to 10 men barricaded his taxi and forced them out. The High Commission alleged that Mrs. Gupta too was manhandled as a man `gagged' her to keep her quiet.

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Section  : International
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