Children of diplomats posted in Pakistan to be withdrawn from schools

NEW DELHI: India has decided to withdraw children of its diplomats posted in Pakistan from schools in that country. The decision was taken in June 2015 but the Pakistan government leaked the information to the Pak media after over an year. The external affairs ministry had asked high commission staff to send their children back from this academic year, citing security concerns.

Following reports in the Pakistan media, the MEA said on Monday: "It is a normal practice for all countries to review staffing and related policies for their diplomatic missions, including in view of prevailing circumstances at those stations. With effect from this academic session, officials posted in the High Commission of India in Islamabad were advised to make arrangements for education of their wards outside Pakistan..."
Questioning the timing of the news leak, an MEA source claimed that this was a tactic to paint to the international community that India and Pakistan could be on the verge of a diplomatic war. "Certain Pakistani departments are clearly trying to create the spectre of tension & India-Pak conflict in the face of Pakistan rhetoric on Kashmir not getting international traction.

Pakistan’s objective is to tell the international community that after withdrawing school children, India might downgrade diplomatic ties and may even mobilise the military," a person familiar with the developments said.