Islamabad: Pakistan has decided to stay away from the World Trade Organisation meeting that is to be held in New Delhi next week. The move comes as a protest for the alleged harassment of its diplomats in India.

Last month, India invited Pakistan's Commerce Minister Pervez Malik to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on March 19-20. Islamabad, at the time, had initially accepted the invitation.

 Image: AFP/ File

As per sources, the foreign minister of Pakistan said the situation has changed after "repeated harassment of families of diplomats" and it was decided to skip the invitation.

Trade ministers of over 50 nations including the US, China and Pakistan were invited by India to discuss issues related to agriculture and services. The decision to stay away from WTO meeting in India coincided with the recalling of Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood.

When asked whether Pakistan was contemplating withdrawing the families of its diplomatic staff, the official said it might have to if the current slide in the relationship was not arrested.