NEW DELHI: In this season of demonetisation, the High Commis­sion for Pakistan here is trying to stave off a cash crunch of an entirely different kind.

The mission has written to India’s external affairs ministry to protest against the policies of the bank where Pakistani officials’ salaries are deposited.

According to Pakistan, the bank has imposed additional conditions for withdrawal of the salaries that the mission officials receive in dollars. Several senior diplomats have refused to withdraw their salaries in protest against the new conditions.

These conditions, which came into effect only last week, make it mandatory for Pakistani officials to fill up additional forms specifying their expenditures and also that they exchange their dollars with the same bank. The officials are upset because the exchange rate is much lower than that offered by the bank.

Pakistan has threatened to do the same with Indian diplomats and officials in Islamabad if the ministry doesn’t get the bank to remove the conditions immediately.

Senior Indian officials denied that there was any specific move against the Pakistani mission.

By arrangement with the Times of India

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2016