Pakistan official denied visa for ISI, terror links: India

NEW DELHI: India denied visa to a Pakistani foreign ministry official earlier this month after claiming that he had worked as an ISI operative in the past and harboured links with militant outfits, including those led by Mumbai attacks accused Hafiz Saeeed, the Taliban and the Haqqanis.

Pakistan had applied for a diplomatic assignment visa for the official, Mohammed Idrees, to facilitate his posting at its high commission here. Sources said the visa was denied under “compelling circumstances“ and that India was well within its rights to do so even if Pakistan had applied for a diplomatic visa.

TOI had first reported about the denial of visa to Idrees on Monday.

The revelation came even as Pakistani officials on Wednesday registered a protest with the MEA over “baseless and concocted“ media reports regarding Idrees. Blaming the Indian author ities for these reports, Pa kistan officials accused New Delhi of acting in complete violation of diplomatic norms. Calling Idress a persona non grata, India continues to maintain that he was involved in “unsavoury acts“. However, Islamabad has refused to withdraw his visa application, saying he had not served earlier in India and couldn't be accused of carrying out anti-India activities. Pakistan has described the denial as “unprecedented and unacceptable“.

It had been speculated earlier that the visa was denied in retaliation for Pakistan's refusal to give visa to an Indian yoga instructor who was being sent to Islamabad to participate in International Day of Yoga celebrations on June 21.Sources denied this saying that there was no link between the two cases.

When foreign minister Sushma Swaraj was asked if India's action was a tit-for-tat, she said only Pakistan could answer it. Officials of Pakistan high commission also told MEA on Wednesday that they were willing to sort out the visa and other issues amicably, provided the bickering in public stopped.

Pakistan is also upset with the Indian high commission in Islamabad for denying visa to its under-17 wrestling team which wanted to participate in an Asian championship.

The visa issue has only further complicated ties at a time when all attempts to normalize relations had come unstuck with the release of 26/11 accused Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi.