The Indian government on Tuesday expelled a Pakistani diplomat, who was working in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, citing alleged involvement in espionage.
He has been expelled at a time when the relationship between India and Pakistan touched a new low point and tension escalated following the killing of 26 people, mostly non-Muslim tourists, by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and Indian Armed Forces targeted nine terror hubs in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan.
Pakistan targeted several Indian cities with drones and missiles, which were neutralised by India.
In a statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said: “The Government of India has declared a Pakistani official, working at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India.”
“The official has been asked to leave India within 24 hours. Charge d’ Affaires, Pakistan High Commission, was issued a demarche to this effect today,” the statement further said.
Pakistan follows tit-for-tat
Pakistan responded by expelling an Indian High Commission official.
As per Pakistani media reports, the expelled Indian official was identified as Shankar Reddy Chintala.
The Foreign Office stated that the official had been “found involved in espionage in violation of his privileged status”, Dawn News reported.
In its statement, the Foreign Office said the Indian diplomat had been declared persona non grata and was instructed — along with his family — to leave Pakistan within 24 hours.
The Indian chargé d’affaires was summoned and handed a demarche expressing Pakistan’s strong protest against what it called “undesirable activities”, the Pakistani newspaper reported.
Vacate PoK: MEA
India’s position on Jammu and Kashmir — that is vacating territory illegally occupied by Pakistan — has not changed, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s words a day before.
In a regular briefing this evening, ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have a long-standing national position that any issues pertaining to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed. The outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan.”
