‘Missing’ Indian official released after Delhi calls Islamabad

The official was handed over to the Indian mission on Friday evening but no reason was given for his detention.

The action was seen as a “retaliation” to an incident in Chandigarh on Wednesday — the day of the India-Pakistan semifinal — when a Pakistani driver posted with the Pakistan High Commission was detained after he had allegedly wandered into the restricted,military area near the Chandigarh airport.

The driver was apparently held for questioning overnight and released on Thursday morning.

A possible diplomatic stand-off between the two countries was averted after Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao spoke to her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir and asked him to trace the official and return him unharmed.

Efforts were made the whole day to amicably resolve the situation,sources said,since this comes days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hosted his Pakistan counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani at Mohali to watch the World Cup semifinal match between India and Pakistan.

The Indian side feels the detention was a “needless escalation” of the driver issue. Sources said the official picked up is much senior to the one working as a driver in the Pakistan High Commission,who allegedly strayed into the military restricted area near Chandigarh airport.