Pakistan says it’s India’s ‘too senior’ option for mission post.

On Sunday, Pakistan said India’s proposed diplomat as the next acting head of Indian missions in Islamabad is too senior for the post, even as it tried to connect bilateral ties with the Kashmir problem resolution.

In June, days before New Delhi asked Islamabad to reduce the power of its high commission by 50 per cent, Jayant Khobragade ‘s name was suggested to the Pakistani side.

The move had prompted a reciprocal decision by the Pakistani side.
People are familiar with developments said that the Pakistani side thought the diplomat was too senior to act as the business fee, on condition of anonymity.

One of the individuals said that the current mission of Khobragade, which he has served on deputation with the Department of Atomic Energy since 2017, may have been a factor in Pakistan’s decision.

Since August 2019, the Indian and Pakistani high commissions in the two national capitals are being headed by the deputy heads of the mission when Pakistan demanded India to withdraw High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria in response to India’s decision to deprive Jammu and Kashmir of its special status.

At that time, Pakistan also decided not to go forward with the posting of the diplomat selected as it will be the next envoy to India.

A statement by Pakistan’s spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “Pakistan claims that by offering a senior diplomat, who’s already served as an ambassador in another position, India is trying to circumvent the impact of degrading diplomatic relations, which is obviously not compatible with Pakistan’s decision.”

Khobragade, who worked as an advisor to the Indian mission in Islamabad a few years ago, also held assignments in Russia, Spain, and Kazakhstan and worked as an ambassador to the Republic of Kyrgyz between 2013-17.

“In view of diplomatic norms, however, Pakistan has advised India to appoint a senior officer commensurate with Pakistan’s decision to downgrade diplomatic relations,” the statement added.

“The Pakistani spokesman referred in parts of the Indian media to” veiled threats “that the visa problem would” further destabilise “bilateral ties and said that” it must be clear that India-Pakistan relations are inextricably related to the resolution of the Jammu-Kashmir conflict in compliance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.