Pakistan declares Indian High Commission official persona non grata

Pakistan on Wednesday declared a member of the staff at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad persona non grata for allegedly “engaging in activities incompatible with his privileged status”.

The official was directed to leave Pakistan within 24 hours, the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry did not identify the official.

In diplomatic parlance, an official declared persona non-grata is deemed unwelcome by the host country.

This came a day after India declared an official working at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi persona non grata for allegedly indulging in actions “not in keeping with his official status”.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday that the official had been asked to leave the country within 24 hours.

The development came after India and Pakistan reached an “understanding” on Saturday to halt firing following a four-day conflict.

Tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad had escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 persons on April 22.

The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and seven defence personnel were killed.

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