Woman professor accuses Pakistan embassy staffer of 'Rude and uncouth' behaviour

A woman professor from Punjab has accused a Pakistan High Commission staffer in Delhi of making inappropriate comments aimed at her. The professor had applied for a visa to travel to Pakistan and it was during her visa appointment that an employee made her uncomfortable by asking her personal questions, she told ANI.  

According to the professor, the Pakistan High Commission staffer asked her: "Why am I not married? How do I live without marriage? What do I do for my sexual desire?" 

The professor further said she was asked 'whether she supports Khalistan or can write on Kashmir issues.'

When the professor tried to change the subject, the Pakistani official insisted on asking the same questions.

She further said the embassy staffer told her that in some sections of Muslims, they can marry for a few hours, ANI reported.

"It is easy for us Muslims as we have a choice to marry 4 times. Even if we get bored by one, we can marry another.  Does your religion allow the same? Does your religion allow extra-marital affairs?" the official at Pakistan High Commission said.

'I continued to be polite' 

The female professor said the Pakistan High Commission official asked her: "Do you have someone you can have sex with or not? How are you living comfortably without having a partner?" 

Shocked at the 'lewd' remarks, the professor asked the staffer to get the visa officer, she said. The staffer, however, told her there was still time to meet the officer.  

"I continued to be polite and tolerated him as I wanted the visa. 45 minutes of this torture continued in which he narrated stories of war and how men who come back after a long gap need sex etc," she told ANI.

The professor also shared screenshots of a WhatsApp chat with ANI which purportedly showed Pakistan officials asking her to write against the Indian government. The professor claims she was offered attractive remuneration which she refused. 

"Their behaviour was rude and uncouth, unlike my earlier experience in Dec 2019 wherein I was treated with great respect and dignity," she said.

The woman said the incident took place on March 15, 2022, and her visa was rejected by the visa officer within two minutes of their conversation.

The professor said she has written to the Union Ministry of External Affairs. 

Meanwhile, the Pakistan High Commissioner said they are looking into the matter. "We are surprised at its (the complaint's) timing and the manner in which it has been raised. There are robust mechanisms in place for the redressal of all public grievances," a spokesperson for the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.