On Sunday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs released a statement reporting the detention of two officials who worked at the consular services section of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. The officials were given 24 hours to leave the country. According to unnamed officials, they are detained in Karol Bagh after a failed attempt to acquire classified documents on the “Indian security establishment”.
The statement says that Indian authorities were monitoring the two detainees even before the incident on Sunday. After they were caught, the two detainees claimed to be Indian citizens. Indian officials report that the men also possessed fake Aadhar cards. However, upon further interrogation, they accepted that they were officials at the Pakistan high commission who were employed with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The two officials have been charged under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 for indulging in “espionage activities”. The Ministry of External Affairs released a statement, saying, “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 Pakistani Foreign Officer, in response, issued a statement denying the allegations. It also accused Indian officials of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The statement read, “We condemn the detention and torture as well as threatening and pressuring of the diplomatic officials to accept false charges.”
The last time such an action was taken by India, the two countries engaged in retaliatory expulsions and allegations against each other’s diplomatic officials. In 2016, India arrested Mehmood Akhtar, an official of the Pakistani High Commission, on similar charges. Within a few hours, Pakistan, too, deported an Indian official. Further, Pakistan withdrew six of its diplomats after Indian media houses reported their names after their involvement came to light through Akhtar’s testimony. Further, the same charges were then levelled against eight Indian officials, which led to their withdrawal by India.
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This comes amidst the recent activity along the India-Pakistan border in Kashmir that has caused a further deterioration of the already sour diplomatic relations between the two countries. The leaders from both countries are engaging in back and forth statements against the other, alleging violations of international law and ceasefires at the Line of Control. The expulsion of these diplomats is likely to result in retaliation by Pakistan, who is likely to impose similar charges on Indian officials in Pakistan and cause additional creases in their diplomatic relations.
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Image Source: The Quint