The Hindu : Pak. diplomat, 4 staffers asked to leave in 48 hours

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 09, 2003

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Pak. diplomat, 4 staffers asked to leave in 48 hours

By Amit Baruah

Jalil Abbas Jilani

NEW DELHI Feb. 8. Short of closing down the Pakistani mission, New Delhi today expelled Islamabad's Charge d'Affaires, Jalil Abbas Jilani, and Pakistan responded in kind a few hours later by asking Sudhir Vyas, India's CDA in Islamabad, to leave the country. India also expelled four staff members of the Pakistani High Commission and asked all the five, including Mr. Jilani, to leave the country within 48 hours as Pakistan asked four other Indians, a First-Secretary included, apart from Mr. Vyas, to quit Islamabad. For the first time since India and Pakistan restored diplomatic relations in 1976 (after the 1971 war), their missions are being headed by Counsellor-level officers.

Mr. Jilani's expulsion was expected after the Delhi Police accused him of passing on cash to separatist elements in Jammu and Kashmir in an FIR registered two days ago. The Joint Secretary (Pakistan), Arun Singh, summoned the Pakistani Counsellor (Political), Syed Ibne Abbas, and informed him that Mr. Jilani had been found indulging in activities "incompatible with his diplomatic status."

`Will give visa replacement'

``It was also conveyed that the Government of India did not intend any down-gradation in the level of representation of the CDA (Charge d'Affaires) and would be ready to give a visa at the earliest to his replacement,'' the Foreign Office spokesman told presspersons. He said that New Delhi had also sought the "withdrawal'' of four staff members of the Pakistani High Commission — Habib-ur-Rehman, Aftab Ahmed, Abdul Razak and Muhammad Nazir — for activities incompatible with their official status on this, and some other occasions.

Asked if the Indian action amounted to shutting down the Pakistani mission, he said that it amounted to "what it does.'' The action against Mr. Jilani had been taken on the basis of "hard evidence'' while the Pakistani response was the result of "compulsive hostility'' towards India. Asked to respond to Pakistani allegations that the Indian actions were intended for political gain in the coming elections, the spokesman discounted this theory completely.

Syed Abbas told this correspondent that New Delhi's action was a "very unfortunate'' development and the naming of Mr. Jilani in an FIR was a "dangerous precedent."

Though India has technically stated that it is willing to give a "visa at the earliest'' for Mr. Jilani's replacement, visas for prospective Deputy High Commissioners on both sides have been pending for quite some time. Pakistan has yet to grant a visa to T.C.A. Raghavan, which was sought (as replacement for Mr. Vyas) in July 2002. For its part, India is still to give a visa to Munawar Saeed Bhatty, sought in November 2002, to replace Mr. Jilani as Deputy High Commissioner.

The military wings in the High Commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad remain "untouched'' and could be the next target as India-Pakistan relations remain in a tailspin. If the relations continue the downward spiral, New Delhi may find that "third parties'' will become the "official option'' to communicate with Islamabad.

So far, India has told Pakistan that it prefers the bilateral route in resolving bilateral issues, but has insisted since the failed Agra summit in July 2001 that cross-border terrorism must end before a dialogue can begin. India may take some solace from the fact that the international community, which welcomed the withdrawal of troops by the two countries in October, is not stepping up pressure on New Delhi to resume talks with Pakistan.

The flurry of visitors which came in 2002 was a sign of the concerns of the international community, which is busy with more pressing issues such as Iraq today. But, if the steps taken today are but one link in a long chain, the international community may again take notice of the situation in South Asia.

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