ISLAMABAD: The Bangladesh High Commission has distanced itself from an individual who recently lodged a police case, claiming he was being harassed by unidentified individuals.

In separate statements issued in response to a report carried in Dawn on Friday, the high commission said Moham­mad Ali Khalid was a Pakistani national who was not a diplomat, and was no longer their employee. The statements added he used to work as a public relations officer with the high commission, but his employment was terminated around a year-and-a-half ago.

According to the high commission, although Mr Khalid is engaged by them to perform tasks when required, he has no permanent association with the diplomatic mission.

However, an FIR recently lodged by Mr Khalid — on the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) — with Kohsar police claimed that he was working on a “key post” at the Bangladeshi mission.

The FIR claims that he had noticed some unknown persons “chasing” him and “monitoring his daily movements”, adding that they also took his pictures. In September, the FIR states, a threatening letter add­­ressed to Mr Khalid was received at the Bangladeshi mission in Islamabad.

When approached for comment, Mr Khalid’s lawyer, Advocate Farhatullah Jan, told Dawn his client was working with the Bangladesh High Commission.

He said Mr Khalid was a Pakistani citizen of Bangl­a­d­eshi origin, as his parents wor­ked with the government there and later migrated to Pakistan.

The counsel told Dawn that he had advised his client to lodge a complaint and get a case registered as a precautionary measure, adding that Mr Khalid had sent a request for formal complaint to the Islamabad DIG. However, when police failed to act on the request, he approached IHC and filed a petition under sections 22-A and 22-B of the Code of Criminal. Procedure.

The court ordered police on Nov 1 to register a case, but due to the law and order situation in the capital, the registration of the case was delayed until this week, the lawyer said.

In an apparent response to the lawyer’s claims, a letter of disassociation issued by the Bangladesh High Commission on Friday and addressed to all government departments and diplomatic missions in the capital, stated Mr Khalid was not in their employment and the commission is not responsible for any of his verbal or written communications.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2024