NEW DELHI, May 21: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday declared an official at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi as persona non grata.
This is the second person from the Pakistani High Commission to be declared a persona non grata within ten days.
“The Government of India has declared a Pakistani official, working at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India. The official has been asked to leave India within 24 hours,” said the MEA in an announcement on Wednesday.
“Charge d’Affaires, Pakistan High Commission, was issued a demarche to this effect today. He was asked to strictly ensure that none of the Pakistani diplomats or officials in India misuse their privileges and status in any manner,” the MEA further said.
This is the second such announcement within ten days. On May 13, a staff of the Pakistan High Commission was declared persona non grata. Soon thereafter a staff of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was also expelled by the Pakistani authorities. India and Pakistan did not cut diplomatic relations in the backdrop of worsening relation after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s response through “Operation Sindoor” but the tit-for-tat expulsion of the past ten days are expected to further trim the number of officials in the two missions.
(Manas Dasgupta)
