Indian envoy 'still being harassed'

The two nations are at loggerheads over Kashmir

India's top diplomat in Islamabad says he is still being harassed by Pakistani agents - despite a complaint to the government.

Sudhir Vyas said on Tuesday he was now being subjected to ''aggressive surveillance''.

He earlier claimed that Pakistani vehicles had blocked his attempt to drive to a diplomatic function on Sunday.

It's aggressive surveillance; I'm surrounded by three or four cars when I'm travelling

Diplomat Sudhir Vyas

That complaint sparked a sharp diplomatic exchange between India and Pakistan on Monday.

The nations both claimed their senior diplomats were being harassed by opposing intelligence agencies.

They urged each other to abide by international diplomatic norms.

Pakistan protest

Mr Vyas said that on Monday and Tuesday he had been subjected to ''aggressive trailing''.

''There has been no boxing in or halting of the flagged car and no blockade outside my residence as happened on the first day. But it's aggressive surveillance; I'm surrounded by three or four cars when I'm travelling,'' he said.

''They come in front, they come at the side, they come in the back and slow down or change speed and suddenly brake to try and throw us off balance.''

On Monday, the Pakistani foreign ministry rejected Mr Vyas' complaints.

The attack on India's parliament led to a full-scale stand off

Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said Pakistani diplomats in Delhi had been harassed by Indian security agencies for the past month or so and India had ignored Islamabad's protests.

Islamabad said it had lodged a complaint with India on 7 January over an unspecified harassment of Pakistani acting High Commissioner Jalil Abbas Jillani.

India said it was not aware of any incident of harassment.

The latest exchange came after Pakistan expressed anger at recent Indian missile tests and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's comments accusing Pakistan of being a centre of terrorism.

India recalled its ambassador to Islamabad in response to an attack on its parliament in December 2001 by Islamic militants.

It expelled Pakistan's ambassador last May as the nations came close to war.