Days after a woman lodged a police complaint against a Pakistan High Commission official for allegedly touching her inappropriately at a market, New Delhi has complained to Islamabad about two Indian diplomats being threatened of retaliatory complaints by Pakistani security personnel.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has sent a “note verbale”, which is an unsigned less-formal mode of diplomatic communication, detailing the incident in Islamabad that took place last week.

The Pakistani personnel questioned the Indian staff members about an alleged incident in New Delhi on January 13 that involved an official of the Pakistani mission, and also “threatened…that they would reciprocate in the same way.”

Pakistan had formally protested to India about an official from its High Commission being held at a police station in Delhi for several hours in January after a woman alleged he behaved inappropriately with her in a market.

The Indian authorities had further asked Pakistani counterparts to investigate in order to ensure that “such incidents do not recur”, the report said.

The note also highlights how such incidents of harassment of family members of diplomats are in violation of the Vienna Convention.

In a separate note verbale, the External Affairs Ministry has also protested to Pakistan about a speech by Ansar-ul-Ummah chief Fazlur Rehman Khalil in Lahore on January 14, during which he advocated “terror and violence against India”.

“The ministry registers its strong protest at the use of Pakistan-controlled territory by extremist and terrorist elements to freely promote violence and terror against India,” the note sent by the MEA to Pakistan High Commission said.