In a statement, the spokesman of Indian External Affairs Ministry Vikas Swarup said the officials of Indian High Commission in Pakistan have been asked to make the arrangements of their kids’ schooling in any other country.
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Indian officials say there is no reason to expect Pakistan to instruct its diplomats to withdraw their children from schools in New Delhi.
India and Pakistan have been engaged in a bitter war of words over Kashmir ever since protests erupted in the Kashmir Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. While spouses and children can not stay with Indian diplomats and officials in “non-family stations”, this will not be the case with Islamabad. “Those who seek a posting in Pakistan will have to keep that in mind too”, an official here told TOI.
According to officials, there are about 50 school-going children of Indian officials who are now posted in Islamabad. The Indian Embassy employees in Islamabad were told a year ago itself to permit sufficient time for affected staff members to make alternative arrangements for the continuing education of their children. It was reissued as a reminder ahead of the new academic session, sources said.
Accusing Pakistan of using fighter planes and artillery against millions of its own people, the minister said it has no right whatsoever to point a finger against courageous, professional and disciplined police and other security forces of India.
Their children are ferried to schools in these special vehicles.
“What can Pakistan offer to Kashmiris when it is still coping with numerous challenges that are posing a threat to its own stability?” the daily said. We were informed two months back.
As per a statement issued here, the members of the Bar’s Executive Committee held a meeting to take stock of the situation prevailing in the State while tributes were also paid to those killed by government forces during the more than two-week anti-India uprising in Valley.
But Indian officials acknowledged that the timing of the decision’s implementation, and the move to make it public, were aimed at sending a message that New Delhi was losing faith in the security Islamabad was providing.
Based on security assessments, diplomatic missions are categorised as no-spouse, and no school-going missions – statuses reserved usually for stations in conflict zones such as Iraq and Libya.
Sushma Swaraj had also objected to the statement of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in which he had called Kashmiri leader Burhan Muzaffar Wani a martyr.
After a blast close to the American School in 2009, the children of foreign diplomats stopped going to the school for some time.
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Around that time, the Indian government bought bullet-proof buses that are now used by diplomatic staff to travel to their workplace.
