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Pakistan curbs on diplomats' travel

Nirupama Subramanian

Permission needed to travel to two places where they could previously go at will

ISLAMABAD: In the continuing bickering between India and Pakistan over travel rights for their diplomats posted in each other's capitals, it is official now that Indian diplomats here have to seek permission to travel to two places where they could previously go at will.

Although there has been no announcement, Indian High Commission officials said they have had to take permission in recent days to travel to Murree, a hill station two hours from Islamabad, and to go to Rawalpindi, a twin city of the capital.

Trips to the airport at Rawalpindi were exempt from the restriction, the officials said.The permits have apparently been granted without any delay.

Pakistan recently hinted at the withdrawal of the travel arrangements on its side, stating that the privileges Indian officials in Islamabad enjoyed were granted on a reciprocal basis.

When Indian officials were allowed to go freely to Murree and Rawalpindi, there was no reason why its diplomats in New Delhi could not go to Gurgaon and Noida, the Foreign Ministry said.

The Indian view is that the Rawalpindi and Murree arrangement was put in place four decades ago when Islamabad was a fledgling capital — the Indian High Commission even has its own guest house in Murree — and that in return Pakistani diplomats in the Indian capital were permitted to go to Old Delhi.

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