Pakistan is now a “non-school-going station” for Indian diplomatic staff.
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Amid ongoing tensions with Pakistan over the Kashmir issue, India on Monday asked its diplomats and other officials to withdraw their kids from local schools in Islamabad.
Amid a strain in the relationship between India and Pakistan, South Block has classified the Indian mission in Islamabad as a “non-school-going mission”. The diplomats have been asked to make arrangements for education of their children outside Pakistan. They said that the decision actually stemmed from the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014. Germany, France, Australia, UN organisations, the United Kingdom (under 12), the US, Canada and European Union are prominent among them. “So our approach is in consonance with the policy adopted by several nations”, sources said.
However, Pakistan was today dismissive of India’s move, describing it as an “informal, internal, administrative” arrangement. We were informed two months back.
”No other considerations were communicated to us”, he added.
According to officials, around 50 children of officials and staff at the Indian High Commission study at the International School of Islamabad, popularly known as the American School. The whole world views Kashmir in the light of the truth whereas the Indian government, their media and Miss Sushma continue to view Kashmir through a warped lens, branding indigenous people who fight for their rights, terrorists and militants.
The MEA declared the High Commission of India in Islamabad as a “no-school-going-mission” in view of the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan. He said that the Kashmiris’ struggle for freedom like all freedom struggles in the world was both indigenous and sacred.
Apart from the deteriorating security situation, another reason which guided the decision was the fact that children of Indian diplomats can not ordinarily travel outside Islamabad for school trips.
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Speculation is rife that Indian intelligence agencies may have cautioned the government in New Delhi of a possible security threat to the children of Indian diplomats in Islamabad.
