ISLAMABAD: The Pakis­tan government on Monday called back its envoy from New Delhi for consultations, as tensions with India continued to grow in the aftermath of last week’s attack on security forces by a Kashmiri youth in Pulwama.

“We have called back our High Commissioner in India (Sohail Mahmood) for consultations. He left New Delhi this morning,” Fore­ign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal tweeted.

It is the second time in less than a year that Pakistan called back its high commissioner from India. Last year HC Mahmood was called back in March over harassment of Pakistani diplomats by Indian security agencies. The matter was resolved within days and he returned within a week.

The high commissioner’s recall for consultation coincided with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that time for talks was over and it was now time for the world to act against terrorism.

India had earlier on Friday also recalled its high commissioner Ajay Bisaria from Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2019