Pakistan will stay away from the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meeting to be hosted by India from March 19-20, as diplomatic tensions deepened between the two countries after a series of incidents of harassment of Pakistani diplomats and their family members by Indian state agencies in New Delhi. Diplomatic sources told Business Recorder that Pakistan has decided not to attend the informal ministerial meeting of WTO to be held in New Delhi. "In an environment of constant harassment and victimization of our diplomats, their family members and even the children, in New Delhi by the Indian state agencies, we have decided not to attend the WTO meeting," said a diplomatic source.
He said the Indian state agencies have continued harassment of diplomatic staff and their families in New Delhi in violation of the Vienna Convention and no action has been taken despite the matter was raised at the highest level with Indian authorities. India has invited over 40 countries to the WTO informal meeting with an objective to facilitate an exchange of views on various issues and challenges relating to multilateral trading system.