“Two officials from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were arrested by the Indian law enforcement officers because they fell into espionage activities today,” the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement. Said.
The statement stated to the authorities that it was declared as “impersonal” because of the activities that did not comply with the status of being a member of the diplomatic mission. They were asked to leave the country within 24 hours.
Pramod Kushwaha, Deputy Commissioner for New Delhi Police Special Cell the counterterrorism unit said the two were “Pakistani citizens” who engaged in anti-Indian activities when they were caught. No further details were provided explaining what the alleged activities were.
The ministry also issued Pakistan’s criminal complaint with a strong protest against the two officials – an official diplomatic message – with a demarche and said “no member of the diplomatic mission is engaged in activities that do not harm India or against their diplomatic status. “
Pakistan’s Islamabad foreign ministry quickly condemned the deportation of diplomats and accused India of violating the Vienna Diplomatic Relations Convention.
“Two staff members of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi have been abolished today (May 31, 2020) by the Indian authorities on false and groundless accusations.”
“We put pressure on diplomatic officials to be detained and sentenced to torture, as well as to accept threats and false accusations.”
The statement did not elaborate on the alleged torture. The Pakistani foreign ministry said the two men were released with “High Commission intervention”.
The Pakistani foreign ministry said the decision to declare the two people as non-grata “accompanied by a negative pre-planned and orchestrated media campaign that is part of the permanent anti-Pakistani propaganda”.
He said the envoy of India was called and drawn a border condemning the “baseless Indian claims”.
Major General Shashi Asthana, retired additional director of the Indian Army Infantry unit, said that the members of the Pakistani embassy “were repeatedly exposed to spying, this time they were caught”.
Meanwhile, retired Pakistani army officer Lieutenant Gen Talat Masood said the practice of expelling diplomats has “gone to a more serious dimension”.
“It is a time for both countries to focus on the pandemic, the crisis in it. Instead, hostilities are expanding and becoming more regional.” Said.
The movement is still stuck between nuclear-armed neighbors in South Asia.
On Monday, Pakistan attempted to frame the move against High Commission officials as an attempt to divert India’s attention from domestic political issues and the situation in Kashmir.
“India’s attempts to increase tension will not be successful,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said. Said.
CNN’s Sophia Saifi wrote from Islamabad, Rishabh Madhavendra Pratap from New Delhi and Helen Regan from Hong Kong. Vedika Sud contributed to the news in New Delhi.
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