NEW DELHI: A violent mob stormed into the residence of the Indian Consul General in Karachi Rajiv Dogra on Dec.8 and looted and burnt the bottom floors.
They were stopped by the police from climbing to the second floor where Dogra his wife and his children had taken shelter. However according to reports reaching here the mob had not dispersed till late in the evening and the residence remained under siege as angry crowds milled around outside.
The Indian authorities are trying to rescue Dogra and his family and fly his wife and children back to New Delhi. They are in constant communication with the High Commission in Islamabad and with the Pakistan government.
The continuing presence of mobs outside the residence is causing concern. The only hope is that the Pakistan Govt will not allow the situation to go out of hand and become a major diplomatic incident. There are also reports that Indian houses in Islamabad have been sporadically stoned. Although the situation in the Pakistani Capital has not reached the same pitch as in Karachi there are apprehensions here that the attacks on Indian nationals including diplomats in Islamabad may increase over the next few days.
Foreign Office sources expressed dismay that reprisals of such a violent nature have occurred despite the Pakistan Govt’s announcement on Monday that security for Indian nationals was being stepped up. In fact the Pakistani authorities had posted extra police personnel outside the Consul Generals residence in Karachi. The police however acted only after the mobran sacked and burnt the lower floors.
Similarly the declaration that temples in Pakistan would also be provided extra security cover amounted to naught as at least six temples were damaged by angry mobs seeking to avenge the events at Ayodhya.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 18, 1992
