India summons Pak envoy over 'abduction and torture' of 2 Indian mission officials

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday summoned Pakistan charge d' affaires Syed Haider Shah and lodged a strong protest over abduction and torture of two officials of the High Commission of India in Islamabad by Pakistan security agencies, saying they were subjected to interrogation and physical assault resulting in grievous injuries to them.

Shah was summoned for the second time in two days. The External Affairs Ministry said that two officials of the Indian High Commission were forcibly abducted by Pakistani agencies on June 15 and kept in illegal custody for more than 10 hours.

It said they were released only after strong intervention by the High Commission of India in Islamabad and the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi and the High Commission vehicle in which they were travelling was extensively damaged. The MEA said the officials were video-graphed and coerced to accept a litany of fictitious allegations and concocted charges.


"The two Indian officials were subjected to interrogation, torture and physical assault resulting in grievous injuries to them. They were video-graphed and coerced to accept a litany of fictitious allegations and concocted charges. The vehicle of the High Commission, in which they were travelling, was extensively damaged," MEA said in a release.