Pakistan reciprocates, declares Indian official Persona non Grata

The Foreign Secretary on Thursday summoned the Indian High Commissioner and conveyed the decision of the Government of Pakistan to declare Surjeet Singh, an official of the Indian High Commission, as persona non grata, said a statement released by the Foreign Office.

The statement added that the Foreign secretary expressed deep concern over the activities of the Indian official that were in violation of the Vienna Convention and established diplomatic norms.

“The Indian High Commission has been asked to make urgent necessary arrangements for Surjeet Singh and his family to leave Pakistan by October 29.”

Earlier today, India decided to expel a Pakistani High Commission staff member for “espionage activities”, a Foreign Ministry official said, as local media reported that New Delhi police had detained him.

The Indian Foreign secretary summoned Pakistani Ambassador to India Abdul Basit to inform him that a Pakistan High Commission staffer has been declared persona non grata for espionage activities, spokesperson of Indian Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarap said in a tweet.

A Pakistani diplomatic source said the visa official, named as Mehmood Akhtar, had been given 48 hours to leave the country. Akhtar was released in about three hours on intervention by our High Commission, the Foreign Office said.

Two other officials, identified as Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir, have also been arrested for allegedly passing on sensitive information to the staffer.

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit strongly protested with Indian Foreign secretary against the detention and manhandling of Pakistan High Commission staff,” a spokesperson of the Pakistan High Commission said in Delhi.

In a statement, Foreign Office spokesman firmly rejected Indian allegations against its diplomats. He deplored the Indian action as violation of Vienna Convention as well as the norms of diplomatic conduct especially in an already vitiated atmosphere.

The spokesman said Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has always been working within the parameters of international law and diplomatic norms. Indian act clearly reflects Indian actions to shrink diplomatic space for the working of Pakistan High Commission.

The spokesman said Indian attempts to escalate the tensions and divert the international attention from the grave human rights violations being perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir can never succeed.

Pakistan has also urged the international community to take notice of the Indian designs.

The spokesman said Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi was called in by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs this morning. He was conveyed decision of the Indian government that one of the staff members of the High Commission has been declared persona non grata and should leave India by Saturday. The Indian action has been accompanied by an extremely negative and orchestrated media campaign.