KARACHI: Pakistan has strongly protested to India against the undue harassment of Pak­istan nationals, which also included Govern­ment employees, who had gone to India rece­ntly to evacuate their families, by the “local officials” in that Dominion, it was reliably le­­a­­rnt… . …Pakistan … in their note … had ta­­ken a “grave view” of “this extremely harsh treatment” … and asked the Indian Gov­e­r­nment to intervene and make the necessary amends “immediately.” … The harassment … was a common occurrence, and Pakistan had protested several times earlier… . Recently, however, the behaviour … had become “worse” and had thus occasioned this strong protest, it was said.

A party of Pakistan nationals, [including] Government employees, were recently detai­ned at Saharanpur railway station in India and were deprived of all their belongings … by the police. Even the ‘Purdah’ ladies were not spa­red who were relieved of their ‘burqas’. … [They were] transferred to the Muslim refugees’ camp at Jullundur… . The detention was so planned that by the time [they] arrived at Amritsar in transit to Pakistan their permits expired and they were again arrested by the Amritsar Police… .

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2024