ISLAMABAD: In a telephone call to the Pakistani Foreign Office on Tuesday, India's foreign secretary apologised to his Islamabad counterpart over the mistreatment of a Pakistani diplomat in New Delhi, diplomatic sources told DawnNews.

Pakistan's First Secretary (Trade) Zargam Raza and his driver Haider were beaten up by a group of men while the former was returning home from the High Commission Monday evening.

High Commission spokesman Manzoor Ali Memon told journalists in Dehli on Monday that two men on a motorbike hurled abuses at the diplomat. When Mr Raza objected, he was thrashed by some men. Both first secretary and his driver suffered serious injuries, the FO spokesman had said.

On Tuesday, the Indian foreign secretary called his Pakistani counterpart, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, and apologised for the treatment meted out to the Pakistani official in New Delhi.

Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani conveyed Pakistan's concerns to the Indian secretary over the mistreatment of it's diplomat in Delhi.

According to sources, the Indian foreign secretary assured Islamabad that a thorough investigation of the incident would be carried out by Indian authorities. The secretary also assured that security for Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi would be tightened to ensure any such incidents do not recur in the future.

One of the suspects involved in the incident has been taken into custody by Indian authorities, said the Indian foreign secretary.