Consignments for Indian diplomat, officials withheld at Wagah

NEW DELHI: Consignments having household items of an Indian diplomat and three officials have been withheld by Pakistani authorities at the Wagah border and these have not been released despite requests by India.

The Pakistani Rangers had taken possession of the consignments nearly a month ago, sources said.

They said the consignments, belonging to the Indian diplomat and three officials of Indian Embassy in Islamabad, have not been released by the Pakistani Rangers despite requests by the Indian government.

The issue may figure during the Director General-level talks between border forces of India and Pakistan beginning tomorrow. Sources said India has written to the Pakistan Foreign Office on the issue.

A 16-member Pakistani delegation arrived in Amritsar this afternoon en route to Delhi for the three-day talks between the chiefs of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistani Rangers that is being held after a gap of over one-and-a-half years.

The Pakistani side led by Rangers Director General (Punjab) Maj Gen Umar Farooq Burki was received at the Attari- Wagah land border near Amritsar by senior BSF commanders of the Punjab frontier.