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Staffer in Nepal trapped in fake currency case, says Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Aug. 25. Pakistan today dubbed charges against its employee in Nepalese mission in Kathmandu of using counterfeit Indian currency as baseless and maintained that it was an attempt to damage relations between Islamabad and Kathmandu.

"We had extensive negotiations with the Nepalese Foreign Office and the Nepalese Foreign Office has issued a press statement saying that the matter has been resolved and this would not have any impact on Pakistan's relations with Nepal," the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Masood Khan, told reporters here.

The Pakistani staffer was arrested last week in Nepal on the alleged charges of using Indian fake currency. The spokesman described the incident as "unfortunate, baseless and unfounded".

He said no evidence was provided to the Pakistan embassy in Nepal when it approached the Nepalese authority on the issue.

Mr. Khan said that a couple of days ago, two Indian businessmen were caught while in possession of fake Indian currency and the incident involving Pakistani embassy employee was an attempt to deflect pressure from that incident. "Our staffer was trapped," he said.

The spokesman said it was a deliberate attempt to damage relations between Pakistan and Nepal.

"The relations between the two countries are based on solid foundations, they are robust and they cannot be undermined by such incidents," he said.

When a reporter asked for his reaction to the reported request by the Indian ambassador in Kathmandu to the Nepal Government to review the strength of Pakistan mission, the spokesman described it as strange. "The staff strength of the Indian mission in Kathmandu is over 300 while Pakistan maintains a skeleton staff."

In response to another question whether Pakistan would make a similar request to the Afghan Government to review the establishment of Indian Consulates in Kandahar and Jalalabad, the spokesman said that activities of Indian consulates were a cause for concern to Islamabad.

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