*New Delhi: *The diplomatic stand-off between India and Pakistan this weekhas escalated, with Pakistani diplomatic sources saying that “Pakistan waspulling out of the WTO ministerial meet in India due to the currentsituation.”

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting is scheduled to beheld in Delhi on March 19-20.

India had last month invited Pakistan’s commerce minister Pervaiz Malik tothe event and he had confirmed his attendance, but he won’t be attendingnow.

“It was Pakistan’s decision to pull out at the last minute, and the Indianside could not comment on it,” an Indian official said.

The WTO is a multilateral forum for trade discussions.

Pakistan issued a note verbale on Friday alleging that unidentified menintercepted the car of a diplomat accompanied by his two minor daughters.The Pakistani side has said it has lodged several complaints since March 7,when the incidents first started. They also released two videos to themedia claiming harassment.

The issue has now spiralled into a continuous blame game, with Indiansources saying there has been much provocation and no response to severalincidents in Islamabad as well, with no action being taken.

Pakistan called back its high commissioner Sohail Mahmood from Delhiearlier this week. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had downplayedthe move as “routine” assured that “incidents of alleged harassment will nodoubt be investigated.”

“This is normal for high commission to brief its foreign office… We havefaced so many issues in Pakistan; they have not been resolved. We wouldlike our mission to function without any disruptions,” the Ministry ofExternal Affairs (MEA) spokesperson said on Thursday.

Pakistani sources said they are looking at various options on the wayforward. Among the options was declaring India a non-school mission andcalling back families of its diplomats.