In a positive development in the accident-prone India-Pakistan relationship, the two countries on Friday agreed to resolve matters related to the treatment of diplomats and diplomatic premises.

The two countries would settle the matters in line with the 1992 “Code of Conduct for the treatment of diplomatic/consular personnel in India and Pakistan”, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. The Foreign Office of Pakistan made a similar announcement in Islamabad.

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The code provides for “smooth and unhindered functioning” of the diplomatic and consular officials of the two countries in conformity with the international laws without violating their privileges and immunities”.

The code also says that the two countries should not resort to intrusive and aggressive surveillance and actions such as verbal and physical harassment, disconnection of phone lines, etc.

The two sides did not give any further details on how they propose to move forward in this regard. But this brings to an end a major row that had erupted between the two countries early this month over incidents of harassment and intimidation of officials posted at respective missions.

India had sent several ‘Note Verbales’ to Pakistan over the harassment of its employees at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, pointing out that such incidents were in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and a threat to the security and safety of the personnel of the mission.

In the latest ‘Note Verbale’, India had drawn attention to three specific incidents of harassment and intimidation of Indian officials in Islamabad. India had asked the Pakistan Foreign Ministry to immediately investigate all the incidents and direct the authorities concerned to ensure that such incidents did not recur.

Pakistan too had complained that its High Commission staff in New Delhi and their families, including children, were being regularly harassed by unknown individuals on the streets of the national capital. Pakistan had also released videos of alleged intimidation of its officials.

It had also called back its High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood to Islamabad for ‘urgent consultations’ as the row over the treatment of officials escalated. There were suggestions in the Pakistani media that he would not return to New Delhi until the row was settled. However, he returned to New Delhi on 22 March as he was to host a reception the next day on the occasion of Pakistan’s National Day.