India on Thursday sent yet another note verbale to Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad on the continuing incidents of harassment and intimidation of its mission staff.
According to sources in New Delhi, at least three incidents of harassment of Indian officials took place in Islamabad on Thursday.
In one incident, the vehicle of the Deputy High Commissioner, who was going to an embassy within the Diplomatic Enclave for a meeting, was aggressively followed by two people in a car (Toyota Corolla).
In another incident, the Naval Attaché of the mission was followed by a person on a motorbike while going to Serena Hotel in the heart of Islamabad for a meeting.
In the third incident, the Second Secretary (Political) of the mission was aggressively followed and harassed by a person at the Street-1 Café within the Diplomatic Enclave. He had gone there for an official meeting with a diplomat.
Sources said the website of the High Commission continued to be intermittently blocked. This has been causing inconvenience and affected normal functioning of the mission.
“Such incidents of harassment, intimidation and threats to physical security of diplomats and officials are in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, and a threat to the security and safety of the personnel of the High Commission of India,’’ said a source in the government.
What is note verbale?
Note verbale, or verbal note, is a piece of diplomatic correspondence prepared in the third person and is unsigned. A French expression, a note verbale is less formal and also called a letter of protest or referred to as a ‘third person note’.