Pakistani diplomat Faeena Arshad had been under observation by different intelligence agencies for the last one year.
“Her activities were dubious and that’s why we put her under observation to have concrete evidence against her,” said a senior government official.
Arshad worked in Bangladesh for almost three years.
The Foreign Ministry last week informally asked the Pakistan High Commission to withdraw her and she was withdrawn and went back to Pakistan on Wednesday.
The attention centring Arshad came to light when the media reported about her militancy link in Bangladesh.
After the publications of media report, Pakistan sent an official communication [note verbale] to the Foreign Ministry early December saying that she was not engaged in any such activities.
Eventually, when Bangladesh asked for her withdrawal, she was sent back.
Another government official said Pakistan was little unease as it feared that Arshad might be declared persona non grata.
“The issue was discussed between the officials of the two governments informally and Pakistan wanted an amicable solution,” he said.
The Pakistan officials said they were uncomfortable with the whole episode and told Bangladeshi officials that if Arshad became declared persona non grata, there would be retaliation and one Bangladesh diplomat would be expelled from Islamabad.
He said it is customary in the diplomatic world to retaliate if there is any incident like that as the host government does not need to give any explanation to declare a foreign diplomat persona non grata.
Another government official said in January one Pakistan high commission official Mohammad Mazhar Khan was caught red-handed with fake currency.
“We had lot of evidence against him (Mazhar) but we did not declare him persona non grata as he was not a diplomat, just a second grade administrative official. That’s why we officially asked the high commission to withdraw him,” he said.
Fareena’s involvement in militant organisations was reported in the media when Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) members were caught in Bangladesh last month.
On November 29, the detective branch of police arrested four JMB members including a Pakistani national named Idris Sheikh from the capital.
Detective Branch official Monirul Islam at a press conference then said Idris had been spying in Bangladesh for a foreign intelligence agency for years.
Idris and arrestees Mogbul Sharif, Md Salam and Mostafa Zaman – all Bangladeshis – had been visiting and staying in Pakistan for years.
After his arrest, Idris confessed to the diplomat’s involvement in keeping connection with JMB on behalf of Pakistani Intelligence agency.
Idris was also arrested by Rapid Action Battalion on May 1 of 2011 with 47 passports but later he was released on bail.
After the latest arrest in November, detectives also found a phone number in Idris’s cell phone. The name was saved as captain Ashim who is an official of Pakistani intelligence agency.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
