Pakistan has decided to stay away from the World Trade Organisation meeting in New Delhi next week in protest against alleged harassment of its diplomats in India. India last month invited Pakistan Commerce Minister Pervez Malik to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on March 19-20 and Islamabad had initially accepted the invitation.
Sources in the foreign ministry here said the situation has changed after “repeated harassment of families of diplomats” and it was decided to skip the invitation. “We cannot send our commerce minister to India in the current situation and India has been informed about it,” according to a source.
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He said India should also stop the alleged violations of the ceasefire on the Line of Control that led to the death of civilians and also stop “atrocities” in Kashmir. Trade ministers of over 50 nations including the US, China and Pakistan were invited by India to discuss issues related to agriculture and services.
The decision to stay away from WTO meeting in India coincided with the recalling of Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood. Mahmood arrived here last evening for consultations after Pakistan alleged repeated harassment of its diplomats in New Delhi.
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