Text of news conference by Indian
spokesman
The following is the text of Indian
foreign ministry spokesman's news conference on Saturday, announcing the
expulsion of Pakistan high commission's staff members:
I wanted to inform you that Syed
Ibn-i-Abbas, counsellor in the Pakistani high commission was summoned to
the ministry of external affairs today (Saturday). It was conveyed to him
that Jalil Abbas Jilani, charge d'affaires of the Pakistan high commission
has been found indulging in activities incompatible with his official status.
His withdrawal from India was sought within the next 48 hours.
It was also conveyed that the government
of India did not intend any down-gradation in the level of representation
of the CDA and would be ready to give a visa at the earliest to his replacement.
In view of the involvement of some
other officials of the Pakistan high commission in activities incompatible
with their official status on this and some other occasions and keeping
in mind the seriousness with which the government of India assessed the
present activity, the government of India also sought the recall of four
other officials of the Pakistan high commission.
These are: Habibur Rehman, Aftab
Ahmed, Abdul Razak and Mohammad Nazir.
Question: Was this expulsion of
four staff officials linked to Abbas Jilani's case?
Answer: As I said, it is for activities
incompatible with their official status on this and some other occasions.
Q: Do you recall such a withdrawal
of a senior official at this level from the high commission earlier or
is this the first time?
A: I will have to check that as
to when and how anybody else left.
As you know, in December, following
the attack on our parliament the staff component of the Pakistani high
commission and in fact our component there had been cut into half and some
days ago we had on similar charges asked four other people to leave.
Q: You said you are ready to give
visa, not to downgrade. Don't you think this gives a very negative impact
to already bad India-Pakistan relations?
A: The activities of the CDA were
not meant to improve relations. These are not the activities of a diplomat,
neither normal nor keeping with his status. Government of India is recognizing
the fact that we are not downgrading the level of representation below
the charge d'affaires.
Q: But diplomatic relations do not
solely depend on India. Pakistan may also...?
A: Well, I am not going to speculate
on what Pakistan may or may not do. We have taken our action based on hard
evidence.
Q: What is that evidence. Can you
share that?
A: We have evidence that he was
indulging in activities which are incompatible with his official status.
The specific circumstances which you have already heard about and seen
in the newspapers yesterday.
Q: What is the time given to them
to leave the country?
A: Fourty-eight hours and seven
days for the family members.
Q: But in normal cases seven days
are given to leave. Why in this case it's 48 hours only?
A: I don't know what is your standard
of normalcy.
It is not normal for a charge d'affaires
to be indulging in these activities.
The circumstances of the case necessitate
a very serious view to be taken by the government of India and this has
been done.
