NEW DELHI- Amid the tension between the two countries, *indian media hasreported* that Pakistan has blocked Indian government websites — those withdomain names .gov and .in — since last May.

While New Delhi has taken up the matter with Islamabad multiple times inthe last nine months, there has reportedly been no respite.

On the other hand Pakistan is unlikely to send its High Commissioner SohailMahmood back to New Delhi any time soon. Islamabad’s decision comes in thewake harassment of diplomats and their families. Mahmood is likely toremain in Pakistan indefinitely or until the situation between thecountries is resolved.

Two days ago, after Pakistan summoned Mahmood to Islamabad for“consultations” over the allegations made, the Indian Ministry of ExternalAffairs had called it “pretty normal and routinelink>”and not a recall.

“Our high commissioner will not return to India anytime soon,” the seniorForeign Office official was quoted as saying by *The Express Tribune.* Mahmoodreturned to the country from New Delhi on Friday. The officer added thatPakistan may withdraw the families of diplomatic staff from India, ifrelations didn’t improve.ADVERTISEMENT

Mahmood had said, “Through painstaking efforts over the past severalmonths, we twice managed to ease tensions somewhat and began makingprogress on some of the tracks, including on humanitarian issues. Thecurrent approach and methods only militate against such efforts, whileholding no prospect of advancing any particular objective. A re-think is inorder.

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