Two Pakistani officials working in New Delhi have been told to leave India within 24 hours over taking part in “espionage activities,” the nation’s foreign ministry has said.
The two worked at the Pakistani Embassy – also known as the Pakistan High Commission – in New Delhi, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The government has declared both these officials persona non grata for indulging in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission.
The duo have been given 24 hours to leave India’s territory and return to Pakistan, the Foreign Ministry added.
One of the suspects used his job as a visa assistant at the embassy as cover, Indian media have said, citing sources. The two expelled officials were described as trained intelligence-gathering specialists of the Pakistani secret services. They were allegedly detained while meeting a contact in New Delhi, in an attempt to extract data on India’s military and railways.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has blamed India for the “detention and torture” of its diplomats. The arrest was accompanied by a pre-planned media campaign, which was part of a “persistent anti-Pakistan propaganda,” the ministry added.
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