May 19, 2002	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, May 18: The Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi, Ashraf Jahangir Qazi, was recalled by the government on the demand of the Indian government on Saturday.

The Indian demand came only a day after its parliament adopted a unanimous resolution, criticizing Pakistan for its support to alleged cross-border militancy which Islamabad has consistently denied.

A foreign ministry press release said that Pakistan had noted with disappointment the decision of the Indian government and added that Islamabad had accordingly decided to recall the high commissioner.

India had already recalled its high commissioner from Islamabad following an attack on the parliament house in New Delhi in December by five attackers who were killed in a shootout with security guards. India had blamed Pakistan for the attack which Islamabad had vehemently denied.

Pakistan had avoided taking any tit-for-tat step against the Indian decision and retained its high commissioner to continue to act though the government of India had virtually ceased to recognize his diplomatic representation and he was accused of maintaining questionable links with so-called Kashmiri separatists.

The press release said that despite the Indian demand for the recall of the Pakistan high commissioner, “the government of Pakistan will continue to work for complete normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries”.

Ashraf Jehangir Qazi is expected to leave his post in Delhi during this week, after having been in office for about four years.

AFP adds from Delhi: The decision to expel the high commissioner was taken by the Indian government after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security presided over by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Briefing reporters after the CCS meeting, Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh said the move to send back Qazi would “maintain parity” after the Indian high commissioner to Pakistan was withdrawn by New Delhi in December.

The high-level CCS meeting was also briefed by chiefs of the Indian army, navy and air force in the “operations room” of the defence ministry which is normally used for drawing up military action plans.