Why India, Pakistan diplomats asked to leave within 24 hours
Pakistan on Tuesday declared a staff member of the Indian high commission in Islamabad "persona non grata" for engaging in activities what it called 'incompatible' with his privileged status. Pakistan's move comes soon after India expelled a staffer of the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi for his alleged links with two people from Punjab who were arrested this week on charges of involvement in espionage, people familiar with the matter said.
A statement issued by the ministry of foreign affairs also that the concerned official has been directed to leave Pakistan within 24 hours.
Also Read | India expels Pakistan high commission staffer for alleged links to espionage
"The Government of Pakistan has declared a staff member of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad, as persona non grata for engaging in activities incompatible with his privileged status," it said.
It added that the Indian charge d'affaires was called to the ministry of foreign affairs on Tuesday for a démarche, conveying this decision.
A statement from the external affairs ministry said the Indian government had declared the staffer of the Pakistani mission 'persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India'. The statement did not give further details of the matter.
The staffer was told to leave India within 24 hours, and the charge d'affaires of the Pakistan high commission, Saad Warraich, was issued a demarche or a formal diplomatic protest on this issue, the statement said.
Punjab Police announced on May 11 that they arrested two persons for alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to a Pakistani national posted at the high commission in New Delhi.
Acting on credible intelligence, Punjab Police initially arrested a man for providing 'sensitive information' on the Indian Army's movements to a Pakistan-based handler, said director general of police Gaurav Yadav. Based on disclosures made by this man, a second person was identified and taken into custody, Yadav said.
An investigation revealed the two persons allegedly received payments through online transactions for the classified information. They were in frequent contact with the Pakistan-based handler and allegedly involved in channeling funds to other local operatives on the handler's instructions, Yadav said.
A day after the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 that killed 26 civilians, India announced a slew of punitive diplomatic and economic measures against Pakistan, including the expulsion of the three defence attaches posted at the Pakistan high commission and the whittling down of the total number of diplomatic staff posted in each other's capitals from 55 to 30.
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