Pak gives marching orders to two Indian journalists

In an abrupt action, Pakistan has expelled the two Indian journalists posted there and asked them to leave within seven days without assigning any reason.

Press Trust of India’s (PTI) Snehesh Alex Philip and Hindu newspaper’s Meena Menon received letters late last night from the Pakistan government’s External Publicity Wing informing them that an unnamed ‘competent authority’ had decided against any extension of their visas.

Philip and Menon, the only two Indian journalists in Pakistan, have been in Islamabad for just about nine months.

They have been asked to leave by May 20.

Pakistan has a system of giving visas to Indian journalists for a few months at a time and they are then required to repeatedly seek extensions.

Philip’s two predecessors, K J M Varma and Rezaul H Laskar spent more then six years each in Islamabad. Philip’s wife came to India in January to attend a family wedding but has been unable to go back because she has not been issued a visa. Regretting the sudden and inexplicable decision of the Pakistan authorities, PTI’s Editor-in-Chief and CEO M K Razdan said, ‘We have been given no notice, no reason and no rationale for this virtual expulsion by the Pakistan government that keeps affirming that they want improved relations with India.’ 

The move comes days ahead of installation of a new government in India and diplomatic observers say that the Pakistan’s unilateral action will not go down well with New Delhi.

The Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi that the India intends to take up the matter with Pakistan. It has not been informed about the development either by the Pakistan government in Islamabad or by its High Commission in Delhi, Spokesperson of the MEA said.

India and Pakistan had reached an understanding in late 1970s for posting of two mediapersons from each country. PTI has regularly posted correspondents in Pakistan since then and some Pakistani journalists were stationed in India from time to time, although currently there is none from Pakistan.