'Outrageous'

This is to inform you about developments relating to Pakistan. This evening,the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan was summoned by Shri Dilip Sinha, JointSecretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. It was officially conveyed to himthat Syed Muhammad Rafique Ahmed, Counsellor in the High Commission of Pakistanin New Delhi, had been involved in activities incompatible with his diplomaticstatus. The government of India has, therefore, declared him persona nongrata. Mr. Ahmed has been asked to leave India by August 7, 2006.

During the meeting, Shri Dilip Sinha lodged a strong protest against theoutrageous treatment meted out to Shri Deepak Kaul, Counsellor of the HighCommission of India, Islamabad by agencies of the government of Pakistan, andcategorically rejected allegations that Shri Kaul was engaged in activitiesincompatible with his diplomatic status. The officer was not in possession ofany 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, tofetch his family. As required by the government of Pakistan, he had obtainedwritten permission for his travel. At 7.30 a.m., about 90 kms. from Lahore, hewas stopped by Pakistani security agencies and taken, hooded and handcuffed, tosome unidentified location where he was interrogated intermittently for aboutfive hours. Thereafter he was brought to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry and ourHigh Commission was informed of his being declared persona non grata. TheHigh Commission was also informed that Shri Kaul should leave Pakistan by August7, 2006. The diplomat was then handed over to our High Commission.

Shri Dilip Sinha pointed out to the Deputy High Commissioner that the actionsof the government of Pakistan were in blatant violation of the Vienna Conventionas well as the Code of Conduct for Treatment of Diplomatic/Consular Personnel inIndia and Pakistan 1992. Such action could not but undermine the bilateralrelations between the two countries.

Shri Deepak Kaul is safe and the High Commission of India is arranging for hisreturn to India by August 7, 2006.

Question: The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistanwanted to keep it (the incident) under wraps but Indian officials gave out theinformation

Navtej Sarna: That is absolutely incorrect. The information first cameout on Geo TV this afternoon and it was based on a detailed briefing, as wassaid, by Pakistani intelligence sources. Things cannot be more blatant thanthat.

Question: What happens now to the tentative road map that was there?

Navtej Sarna: I do not want to indulge in any hypothetical guess workat this time. I have told you the action that has been taken. But, if I canbroadly respond to your question, I will only say that such action as has beentaken by the government of Pakistan cannot but undermine the bilateral relationsbetween the two countries.

Question: This is the first time since after the peace talks that such akind of major setback has happened…

Navtej Sarna: I do not want to get into any categorization but if youare asking me whether an officer of this level has been declared persona nongrata after the dialogue process started, the answer is ‘yes’.

Question: What are the specific charges against Rafique Ahmed?

Navtej Sarna: I have just said that. He was indulging in activitiesincompatible with his diplomatic status.