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Pakistan condemns Indian decision declaring diplomat as persona non grata

Xinhua, October 27, 2016 Adjust font size:

Pakistan on Thursday condemned the Indian government's decision to declare a staff member at Pakistani embassy in New Delhi as persona non grata, the Foreign Ministry here said in a statement.

The ministry said a staff member of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi was detained by Indian authorities on Wednesday on false and unsubstantiated charges. He was, however, released in about three hours on intervention by the High Commission.

"We condemn the detention and manhandling of our diplomatic official," a Foreign Ministry said.

Indian media has reported that Indian officials on Thursday asked a Pakistan High Commission staff member to leave the country immediately over espionage allegations.

Delhi Police said in reported comments that they took the Pakistani embassy official, Mehmood Akhtar, for questioning after he was found "working" for the Pakistani spy agency and "obtaining secret Indian defense related information" for the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.

"We reject the Indian allegations and deplore the Indian action which is indeed a violation of the Vienna Convention as well as the norms of diplomatic conduct especially in an already vitiated atmosphere," the Pakistani statement said.

The ministry said Pakistan High Commission has always been working within the parameters of international law and diplomatic norms. "This act clearly reflects Indian actions to shrink diplomatic space for the working of Pakistan High Commission," it added.

The statement said Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi was called in by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Thursday morning to convey the decision that the Pakistani official has been declared persona non grata and should leave India by Oct. 29.

Diplomatic tensions increased at a time when troops of the two nuclear neighbors are involved in firing exchanges that has caused casualties on both sides over the past few weeks over their profound conflicts in disputed Kashmir area. Endit