why do they want to go outside Delhi?

why would they want to do so. Good that India stopped them from wasting country's hard earned Dollars. They have gone there to function as ambassadors - not as tourists.

As long as the mutual trust has not been restored, this will continue. Simla, Jaipur, Agra etc. are not religious places.

Biggest democracy!

Good they are foreigner and they didn't allow foreigne festival from out side there ambesy

Prevention is better than cure. Given the tensions between two countries, it might not be safe for Pak HC staff outside Delhi and Indian government can't take risk with their safety.

What's there so special in outside of Delhi?

Indians be like "Mr.Modi, great!"

Their place is in Delhi. Indian government is right to deny them permissions. Don't make unreasonable demands.

@neo They were under the illusion that India was a very secular state and it wouldn't be so hard to travel after following a proper procedure. Thank you India for showing your "Modi-fied" face !!!

@neo Who are you to ask why they need to go outside of Delhi? Maybe they want to visit the Taj Mahal, any problem in that?

why do they want to leave city..??? sounds some conspiracy.....

For all those who are assuming the worst let me clear the air here. India did not ask them not to celebrate Eid. All it did was not to allow them to go outside Delhi to celebrate it. They can celebrate as much as they want within Delhi. And besides why do they want to go outside the city anyway???

I suppose what goes around comes around. Do minorities in Pakistan feel safe enough to celebrate their events. We fail to control religious zombies, we are now tasting the taste of our own medicine, extremists are on both sides.

Only for the security purpose.....

The way relations of both countries are ,it must not come as a surprise. It is not such a big issue.We are democracy but that doesnt say every request has to be entertained.And also this is just one side of story.

@ZAK If we expected anything else we are fools .

@neo what a stupid question !

Foreign diplomats are not allowed in any country..... Why to make unnecessary demands....

They are diplomats, they should have the decency for not making such requests especially when their Prime Minister is about to rake up Kashmir in the UN.

@neo To meet their contacts and further the agenda of improving relations with common people of India.

Eid is a gazetted holiday in India and it is celebrated by more than 172 million followers spread across the country.

They are not tourists but diplomats. Come tourist visa.......

Eid is a "foreign" holiday for some in india. and that is exactly the kind of feeling that should be publicized by any gov there to hamper the growth that the country is experiencing. the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

The Decision is Right i fully agreed bcoz they are diplomats, they are on their Job, if they wanna visit they should take tourist visa but what i personally notice is if u talk against Pakistan or took any step against Pakistan, u can viral become famous on any level in India specially in Govt. sorry to say this but its a mental fact i notice there wen i visited.

Well done! No personal/official agenda outside Delhi.

They want to see India before they are transferred elsewhere, can't blame them Delhi must be boring.

Must be that the diplomatic staff of Pakistani embassy are thinking that they have come to India on a tourist Visa. They should concentrate on performing their duties than holidaying.

Sounds legitimate - why a foreign nation's embassy wants to celebrate in cities across India. Its like Bangladesh wanting to celebrate a festival across Zambia. Right decision not to allow outside embassy.

Couldn't he come to Pakistan for 4 days and celebrated in Pakistan?

Actually, they wanted to meet the huriyat leaders from Kashmir. Why can't they meet them in Pakistan, as it is most of the staff had left for Islamabad for Eid holidays.

@sana-1 No Sana, more they roam around, more the trouble.

Bakri Eid is probably the wrong time to go travelling around in India. Due to animals being sacrificed around most mosques, the police force is over stretched to maintain law and order. No Govt would like to have additional load on their police force via-a-vis providing fool proof security to diplomatic corps. Sensible decision, better be careful than face flak later.

Good decision indeed.

When I read the headline is totaly misleading. I thought that they were not allowed to move out of the embassy. After reading the entire article, i believe it is a good thing that were not.

Bad decision by GOI

I always thought that the diplomats could travel freely in host nations except in military and national sensitive areas. India should also provide this freedom to Pakistani diplomats.

But why did they want to celebrate it outside Dehli

@AW With a trust deficit like in our countries, where these diplomats are engaging regularly with the separatists considering them as the voice of common Kashmiris which they are not, a nation cannot really take a risk of the possibility of another threat. It is for the safety of the citizens. To all my Pakistani friends, please do not feel bad about this restriction. It is only a safety measure.

@aslam213@gmail.com Bigger Security problem!!!

@AW : they are allowed normally with extra protection, but on occasions when the extra security cover can't be provided due excess demand outside, security clearance is withheld. If Pakistan feels that's wrong, they should seek clarification from Indian guv. Although I wonder did they apply for tourist visa or not.

I think deny due to security of concern for Pakistan diplomats.

@neo Did you even read the 7 or 8 lines in the article?

its the same every year, this year with BJP in power its become a big issue

This petty mindedness marks the India Pak relations. When will we learn to give space to our neighbors and build some trust. After all many Pakistani businesses is placing orders in India worth millions of dollars.This move will make difficult for Indian businessmen to get visas to Pakistan. As it is there are only three flights per week to Pakistan compared to 10 flights per day to Bangladesh.

Hundreds of Pakistanis come to India and celebrate Eid with their relatives all over the country. This year was not an exception. They are treated like our precious guests not just by their relatives and their friends but by all other citizens too. Why not report that?

They are there to do a job, not on a tourist visit. No need to travel anywhere else and waste the country's hard earned dollars. .

They are diplomats, not tourists. Please let them behave like diplomats.

They should have been allowed to take their families on a holiday trip, what was the harm , certainly the staff wanted to enjoy

@k k tiwari India and what if they do something other than enjoying... or some harm comes will you take responsibility..??

They would have thought that UPA is in power

This is a shameful act.

good decision

Interesting how Indians are forever lecturing us on cutting down visa restrictions in the name of "Amn ki Asha" and wouldn't budge an inch when it comes to showing some grace !!

If I were a diplomat based in Delhi, I would use my holidays to see more of this beautiful country, while I am still based there. Petty mindedness.

So much for freedom and liberty in world's largest democracy!

@aslam213@gmail.com Biggest democracy for believers in democracy !

Good move. Security is very important

@Malik M A non issue ! . Amazing yet so many comments.

Diplomats wants to do jashn all over the foreign country. Very good diplomatic mission.

This is the outcome of suspicious ties between Pakistan and India. If it was any other country besides India, staff could have moved to anywhere and everywhere they wanted. Citizenry across both sides of the border has a vital and obligatory role to play in mitigating tensions between the two neighbours. The current state of affairs between the two is a clear indication of what Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had said: "Hindus and Muslims are the two eyes of a beautiful bride i.e. Hindustan. Differences between the Hindus and Muslims would spoil the beauty of the bride. That is exactly what is happening in today's India: Gujrat tragedies (Train attack and subsequent attacks), Ajmer Dargah blasts, Babri Mosque and the list is long.

Embassy staff has right to celebrate Eid holidays outside of Delhi. I am supporter of dialogue between two neighbours and contact between citizens,but sad to note how extremists in both countries are dictating terms of hate to Govts.

@neo Exactly my point. The whole idea is silly and fraught with real security risks.

@BAD >If I were a diplomat based in Delhi, I would use my holidays to see more of this beautiful country You are allowed to SEE the other places on your holidays; but NOT allowed to ARRANGE any program in any place as per your wish.

Very low of the governmnt.

whats the news in it ?... why we were expecting from the largest "democracy / with beef ban tail " they would allow our diplomats to celebrate Muslim's biggest festival around the globe, of course a hindu govt will not allow such an activity.... we must not blame them. we should try to understand what they are up to.....

When was the last time Indian consulate asked for a permission to celebrate Diwali in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi? What's a deal to celebrate the festival in multiple cities ? Why a diplomatic mission needs to celebrate outside the capital city ? Are they there to celebrate festivals or serve their country ?

So why they wanted to go outside Delhi? To meet All Huriyat Party?

They perhaps wanted to enjoy on tax payers money. They are in India on a diplomatic mission and not on private tour. The India Govt might have rejected on technical ground as well. The places requested are tourist places and not even religious places to celebrate Eid. They should have taken leave and celebrated Eid with their family nd relatives back home.

@jamal they do get a salary and can use that to visit their own families in India.

@N to visit family and friends.

@aslam213@gmail.com This has nothing to do with democracy. Due to distrust between the countries, visas are limited to specific cities on a need to go basis. Same thing will happen if Indian embassy staff ask for visas to Peshawar or Karachi. @Eid is not a foreign festival in India. india has more Muslims than all Arab countries put together. The reason for denial is what i listed above.

@AW Visa situation between India and Pakistan is not normal. Pakistan too would not give visa to Indian embassy staff to go to Peshawar or Karachi.

Totally agree with the statements about not letting them leave Dehli. They are not tourists and should not behave like one and should respect the law. They have not been sent to India to have fun on tax payers money

@rehan "Interesting how Indians are forever lecturing us on cutting down visa restrictions in the name of "Amn ki Asha" and wouldn't budge an inch when it comes to showing some grace !!" No one is lecturing Pakistan to cut down visa restrictions. Earlier there was a. Proposal to liberalise visa mutually and that was not allowed by your army. Either there is mutual liberalisation or none at all. One sided liberalisation in visas cannot be expected.

@A. Ali please read the article before commenting. No one stopped them from celebrating the festival. Eid is celebrated all over India. Only restriction was on going to other cities - reasons for that are obvious.

@neo just like the Indian Staff in Pakistan celebrates there religious holidays in Muree Karachi Lahore. But Unlike India Pakistan is not a fascists govt.

Bharat is showing its true color under Modi.

@neo, Because there are so many places in Bharat with significant Muslim history and presence.

I am sure if Pakistan would have done the same to Indian diplomats then these people who are supporting the idea would have been cursing the Pakistani govt because of their double policies. And the Indian embassy are allowed for such journeys in Pakistan on written request but hopefully things should change now after this incident.

Large country but a small heart

they have to follow the rules. they can come with a tourist visa and visit any place they want.no need to make a issue out of nothing

well the embassy personnel forgot that they are on foreign soil. India has all the rights to deny their request. besides no one is stopping them from celebrating their festival in their embassy infact they are even allowed to celebrate in delhi.

@rehan they r ambassador , not tourist that they can roam the country. they hav come here for a purpose and not to celebrate festivals and hav a jolly good time.second there was a reason for not allowing and that was safety .u do realize that india and pakistan r not on good terms ,so sending those ambassadors outside delhi might breach the security

Given the relations between India and Pakistan, this should not come as a surprise to anyone. The Pakistani embassy staff are already aware of the travel restrictions, but I guess they tried their luck by asking to see if Indian government would change its mind. Pakistan would have done the same thing to Indians, if they had made a similar request in Pakistan. If anyone has problem with this then help improve relations with India, and in time this kind of things will go away.

As @jamal said... Good decision. India did the Pakistan exchequer a huge favour and saved them about a crore rupees (in dollars) of public funded tourism. Next request would have been in Darjeeling, Kodaikanal and the Andaman Islands.

@critic In light of your comments, India needs to stop it's "Amn ki Asha" fraud . I believe "open visa" is one of it's objectives and since you're so concerned about safety , an "open visa" option should not be considered at all.