Pakistan protests against expulsion of 2 embassy officials

New Delhi: Pakistan late on Sunday night summoned India’s Charge D’affaires to issue a 'strong demarche', after India expelled two officials of its high commission in New Delhi on charges of espionage. The Pakistan Foreign Office said the Indian representative was summoned for conveying its condemnation of the decision to declare its two officials as persona non-grata.

Pakistan said the Indian action 'violated' the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and the diplomatic norms. India had accused Abid Hussain and Muhammad Tahir of espionage and ordered them to leave the country within 24 hours after Delhi Police caught the Pakistan high commission officials obtaining sensitive documents relating to India’s security installations from an Indian national in exchange for money, official sources said. The two discredited officials returned to Pakistan on Monday.

“The government has declared both these officials persona non grata for indulging in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission and asked them to leave the country within 24 four hours,” the MEA said in a statement. MEA sources said: “The assertions of the Pakistan Foreign Office are false. The two officials were caught red handed while indulging in espionage activities. They did not disclose their identity that they were high commission officials.”