Pakistan calls back high commissioner in India for consultations

Published February 18, 2019
Pakistan has called back its high commissioner in India for consultations, says FO. — File
Pakistan has called back its high commissioner in India for consultations, says FO. — File

Pakistan has called back its high commissioner in India for consultations, announced Dr Mohammad Faisal, the spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday.

"He left New Delhi this morning," said Dr Faisal in a tweet.

Following the militant attack in India-occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama area last week, tensions between India and Pakistan are once again running high.

Over 40 Indian paramilitary troops were killed in the attack, which has been claimed by the Jaish-e-Mohammad, a proscribed organisation. India has alleged that those who planned the attacks had links with the Pakistani state — a charge that Pakistan has vigorously denied. Shortly after the attack, the Pakistan Foreign Office had condemned the attack, saying that it was “a matter of grave concern”.

Read: Pakistan asks India to share evidence, pledges cooperation

Earlier on Monday, Finance Minister Asad Umar urged India to "listen to the people of Kashmir".

"It [India] must realise that the more they try and repress the people of Kashmir through violence, the more determined Kashmiris become to break free from the subjugation by India," he said on Twitter. "No amount of scapegoating Pakistan will change that reality."

Kashmiris have been facing a backlash in India, mainly in the northern states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, forcing the interior ministry to issue an advisory to all states to “ensure their safety and security and maintain communal harmony”.

Local media reported that some Kashmiri students were assaulted by members of Hindu rightwing groups in Uttarakhand, while a Kashmiri man had been booked by police in the southern city of Bengaluru under a colonial-era sedition law for a post allegedly backing the Kashmiri fighters. The reports could not be verified independently.

Opinion

Editorial

Pahalgam aftermath
24 Apr, 2026

Pahalgam aftermath

A YEAR after at least 26 people were killed in a terrorist attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, ties ...
Real estate power
24 Apr, 2026

Real estate power

THE latest round of land valuation revisions by the FBR for tax purposes signifies a familiar pattern that ...
Ad astra
Updated 24 Apr, 2026

Ad astra

AMONG the many developments this month that Pakistanis can take pride in is the news that one of their own will soon...
Ceasefire extension
Updated 23 Apr, 2026

Ceasefire extension

THOUGH the US has extended the Iran ceasefire — thanks largely to effective Pakistani diplomacy to prevent sliding...
Climate & livelihoods
23 Apr, 2026

Climate & livelihoods

THE latest ILO report estimates that around 3.3m jobs may have been affected by the 2025 floods — significantly...
Virtual courts
23 Apr, 2026

Virtual courts

THOUGH routine activities in Islamabad have been greatly hindered amidst security preparations for another round of...