India on Tuesday declared a Pakistani official posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as persona non grata and directed him to leave the country within 24 hours. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the official was found to be involved in activities “not in keeping with his official status.”
In a brief statement, the MEA confirmed that a demarche had been issued to the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission. “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,” the statement read.
The expulsion of the Pakistani official comes close on the heels of diplomatic and military tensions following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam last month that claimed the lives of 26 civilians. In the aftermath of the attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) announced a series of measures, including declaring Defence, Naval, and Air Advisors at the Pakistani High Commission persona non grata.
