India on Saturday lodged a strong protest with Pakistan after Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria and consular officials of the Indian mission, in Islamabad, were stopped from visiting Gurdwara Panja Sahib and meet Indian pilgrims on Friday, despite a travel permission having been granted by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry.
The External Affairs Ministry summoned Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner and registered its protest. A strong protest was also registered by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad over the incident.
This is the second time in recent days that Pakistan has denied access to the Indian envoy to meet the visiting pilgrims who are Indian nationals.
In April, the Indian envoy was denied entry into Gurdwara Panja Sahib for a scheduled meeting with visiting Indian pilgrims.
According to the External Affairs Ministry, Indian organisers, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), when contacted, had expressed grave concern and dismay at the incident despite the visiting pilgrims from India having asked Pakistani organisers to facilitate a meeting with the High Commissioner and mission officials.
New Delhi also told the Pakistani diplomat that preventing the High Commission officials from discharging their consular responsibilities was in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, and the 1974 bilateral Protocol on visit to religious shrines.
India also conveyed to the Pakistani side its concerns at repeated attempts by entities in Pakistan to extend support to secessionist movements in India and incite the Indian pilgrims. The Pakistan authorities were asked to ensure that that no such activity was carried out from the Pakistani soil.