Pakistan expels Indian diplomat in tit-for-tat move hours after New Delhi declares Pakistani diplomat ‘persona non grata’
India news: The expulsion comes just days after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, following India's large-scale cross-border operation, named Operation Sindoor.
India on Tuesday (May 13) declared a Pakistani diplomat posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 24 hours.
The decision comes in the wake of heightened tensions following the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir and India’s military response across the border.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “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. Charge d’ Affaires, Pakistan High Commission, was issued a demarche to this effect today.”
Hours later, In a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan expelled an Indian High Commission staffer in Islamabad on expected lines.
"The Government of Pakistan has declared a staff member of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad, as persona non grata for engaging in activities incompatible with his privileged status. The concerned official has been directed to leave Pakistan within 24 hours," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said.
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Move follows Operation Sindoor and recent ceasefire
The expulsion comes just days after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, following India's large-scale cross-border operation, named Operation Sindoor. The operation targeted terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and was launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 civilians were killed in the Baisaran Valley.
Diplomatic action began after Pahalgam attack
Following the Pahalgam attack, India summoned Pakistan’s senior diplomat, Saad Ahmad Warraich, and handed over a formal note on 22 April, declaring Pakistan’s military diplomats persona non grata. This latest move appears to be a continuation of that diplomatic response.
What does ‘persona non grata’ mean?
Persona non grata is a Latin term meaning “an unwelcome person.” In diplomatic terms, it refers to someone whose presence is no longer acceptable in the host country. It’s one of the most serious forms of censure in diplomatic relations and often results in immediate expulsion.