India, Pakistan back to bickering after Mohali bonhomie

New Delhi (PTI) - India and Pakistan
were back to bickering Friday with an Indian High Commission
official posted in Islamabad reported 'missing' and Pakistan
protesting the brief "arrest" of a driver in its mission in
New Delhi.
Pakistan Friday claimed that a driver of its mission
in New Delhi was "arrested" for unspecified reasons earlier
this week, a charge denied by Indian officials who said that
he was briefly detained and handed over to the Pakistan High
Commission.
"A driver from the High Commission was arrested. (He)
has been released. We have protested," Pakistan Foreign Office
spokesperson Tehmina Janjua told PTI in Islamabad, without
giving details.
However, sources in New Delhi said that on Wednesday
evening a Pakistani High Commission driver was seen near the
Chandigarh cantonment area and when confronted, he tried to
escape.
"In the process, he sustained some bruises/injury on
his knee and back. He was questioned and thereafter released.
Before being released, a medical check-up was conducted which
showed him in good health," sources told PTI.
Just hours after the incident, an official in Indian
High Commission went 'missing' in Islamabad, sources said,
adding there is no official confirmation on his whereabouts
from Pakistan side.
However, the media reported detention of the Indian
official, prompting Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to take up
the matter with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir.
"Apart from Indian High Commission raising the issue
with Pakistan Foreign Ministry in Islamabad, the Ministry of
External Affairs in New Delhi took up the issue with Pakistan
High Commission seeking the safety, security and well-being of
the Indian official," sources said.
The Foreign Secretary has also spoken to Bashir
regarding the matter.
The incident involving the Pakistani driver occurred
at a time when the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan were
in Mohali, holding "extremely positive" conversation on the
sidelines of the pulsating cricket World Cup semi-final
between the two countries.
The incident of the Indian official going 'missing' is
being seen as a tit-for-tat to the Chandigarh incident.