India writes to Pakistan, alleges snooping on diplomats, hacking of social media accounts

NEW DELHI: The Government of India (GoI) has complained to the Pakistan government over the alleged harassment of its diplomats posted in Islamabad and attempts being made to hack their social media accounts. 

According to reports, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has written to the Pakistani establishment over attempts that have been made in the recent past to hack into the social media accounts of its senior Indian officials posted there.

Sources:High Commission of India in Pakistan writes to Pak govt over attempts made to hack social media accounts of senior Indian diplomats.High commissioner& Dy high commissioner being closely followed&aggressively watched by a Pak security official during a wedding in Islamabad pic.twitter.com/UqR7Fs0evQ — ANI (@ANI) 14 January 2019

It has also raised the ''not-so-secret surveillance'' being carried out against its senior diplomats. 

News agency PTI quoted government sources as saying that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has strongly raised the issue in a letter sent to Pakistan's Foreign Office.

The Indian mission, in a note verbale, alleged that the Indian High Commissioner and his deputy were being put under an aggressive watch by a Pakistani security official during a wedding reception on December 4 in Serena Hotel in Islamabad.

The sources said attempts were made to hack the social media account of the second secretary and an email received from Facebook administration that repeated attempts were made by unknown people to log into his Facebook account.

The Indian High Commission has requested the Pakistan Foreign Office to take note of these incidents.

Such incidents of aggressive surveillance, violation of privacy and harassment amount to a breach of understanding between the Pakistan Foreign Secretary and the High Commissioner of Indian in March last year, the Indian mission said in the communication to the Pakistan Foreign Office. 

(With PTI Inputs)