JOIN USIndia on Tuesday promised to address Pakistan’s concerns over security of its diplomats in New Delhi. Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai called his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Jilani to inform about the traffic accident in New Delhi on Monday.
Zirgham Raza, first secretary (trade) of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, suffered “minor bruises” in a scuffle after his car hit a motorcycle here on Monday.
According to sources in the city, Mathai on Tuesday told Jilani that any concerns that the Pakistan Government might have about the security of its staff in New Delhi would be addressed. He also informed his counterpart that action had already been taken in the traffic accident case with the arrest of a person.
Sources said that the foreign secretary made the call to his counterpart in order to ensure high-level contact on the issue, as Pakistani High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir was in Islamabad and the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal was in Delhi.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said in New Delhi on Tuesday that the car of the Pakistan High Commission had hit a motorcycle at Ber Sarai, near the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus. “Both the motorcyclist and the woman passenger riding pillion sustained injuries from the fall. Subsequently, the driver of the car and the motorcyclist had an altercation and reportedly a scuffle ensued, wherein the Pakistan High Commission driver and the diplomat suffered minor injuries,” he added.
Police, the MEA spokesperson added, responded promptly to calls for assistance and escorted the diplomats to safety from the crowd of onlookers who had gathered at the site of the incident.
“The police extended the Pakistan High Commission officials due courtesies, escorted them to the AIIMS Trauma Centre and offered medical assistance and examination. They were later escorted back,” added Akbaruddin.
The foreign secretary made the call to his counterpart in order to ensure high-level contact on the issue, as Pakistani High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir was in Islamabad