JOIN USAmid a war of words between New Delhi and Islamabad over the unrest in Kashmir, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has asked Indian diplomats in Pakistan to pull out their children from schools in the neighbouring country.
The MEA declared the High Commission of India in Islamabad as a “no-school-going-mission” in view of the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan. The diplomats have been asked to make arrangements for education of their children outside Pakistan.
“It is a normal practice for all countries to review staffing and related policies for their diplomatic missions, including in view of prevailing circumstances at those stations,” MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
“With effect from this academic session, officials posted in the High Commission of India in Islamabad have been advised to make arrangements for education of their wards outside Pakistan, till further notice,” Swarup added.
“This is an informal, internal and administrative arrangement, we were informed about this two months ago. No other considerations were communicated to us,” the PTI quoted Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria as saying in Islamabad.
The sources said that New Delhi had taken the decision in June 2015 as part of the “normal assessment of working conditions” in each diplomatic mission or post of India overseas.