Pakistan summons its envoy in India for consultations

Islamabad, Feb 18 (IANS) Pakistan on Monday summoned its High Commissioner in India, Sohail Mahmood, for "consultations" following diplomatic tensions between the two countries after the suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir killed 49 CRPF troopers. "We have called back our High Commissioner in India for consultations. He left New Delhi this morning," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Faisal tweeted. The February 14 attack in Pulwama district was claimed by the Pakistan-based outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). On Friday, New Delhi had summoned the Pakistan High Commissioner and lodged "a very strong demarche" or diplomatic protest over the bombing. Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale told him that Pakistan must take immediate and verifiable action against the JeM and that it must immediately stop any groups or individuals associated with terrorism and operating from Pakistani territory. India also withdrew the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status given to Pakistan and also slapped a 200 per cent import duty on all goods originating from Islamabad.