NEW DELHI – Pakistan wants to sort out “as soon as possible” the issue ofalleged harassment of diplomats, its High Commissioner to India SohailMahmood said Friday and asserted that his country desired “peaceful andgood-neighbourly” relations with India.

Mahmood, who came back to India last night, a week after he was called toIslamabad for consultations amid the raging row between India and Pakistanover harassment of diplomats, said such issues affect the relations betweenthe two countries.

“I discussed this issue (alleged harassment of Pakistani diplomats inIndia) with our government. We want to sort out this issue as soon aspossible because it affects the relations between the countries,” thePakistani envoy said on the sidelines of an event organised to mark‘Pakistan National Day’.

Mahmood was called back to Islamabad for consultations after allegedincidents of harassment of its diplomatic staff in New Delhi, with thePakistan Foreign Office spokesperson claiming the Indian government failedto take notice of the increasing incidents of intimidation of Pakistanidiplomats, their families and staff by its intelligence agencies. India andPakistan have accused each other of harassing diplomats in Islamabad andNew Delhi.

During his address at the event, Mahmood said, “Pakistan desired peacefuland good-neighbourly relations with India on the basis of sovereignequality and mutual respect. It was important to resolve all outstandingissues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, peacefully throughdialogue.”

He also said that peace was in the mutual interest of both countries and itcould only be achieved through diplomacy and dialogue.