The two have been missing since around 8 am.
Highlights
- 2 Indian High Commission staffers in Islamabad were missing since morning
- Pakistan had claimed the two were involved in road accident
- India had summoned Pak envoy earlier today over the incident
Two Indian High Commission staffers reported missing in Islamabad since 8 AM have been found, the government said late Monday night, sharing a notification from Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Ministry that claimed the two, both drivers, had been involved in a road accident.
A FIR (first information report) filed against them said they had been found with fake currency notes.
Earlier today government sources said the staffers were in the custody of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
New Delhi had complained to the Pakistani government after the two went missing. The External Affairs Ministry had summoned the Pakistani envoy.
The incident comes weeks after two Pakistani officials at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were accused of espionage and deported. The two worked in the visa section in Delhi and were allegedly caught in the act of spying.
Several top Indian diplomats in Pakistan have also been aggressively tailed in Islamabad over the last several days and India has protested against the excessive surveillance.
The vehicle of India's Charge d'affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia was chased by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) member recently. A biker was seen following the official's car.
In March, the Indian High Commission in Pakistan sent a strong protest note to the foreign ministry in Islamabad protesting against the harassment of its officers and staff.
In the note, India cited 13 such instances just in March and asked Pakistan to put an end to them. The government also said Pakistan should "investigate the incidents urgently and instruct the relevant agencies to ensure that these do not recur," according to ANI.
Ties between India and Pakistan have been severely strained over the past few years and have worsened with recent incidents of firing at the border and terror strikes in Kashmir.