ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday declared a staff member of the Indian High Commission 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. The Indian Charge d’Affaires was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today for a demarche, conveying this decision,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press statement.
Earlier, the Indian government had 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 Pakistani official concerned has been engaging in activities that are incompatible with his diplomatic status,” said a statement issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday.
The development comes a day after the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of
Pakistan and India held their first round of talks following the ceasefire between the two countries after an intense exchange of fire.
Pakistan, India agree to ceasefire
Nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India agreed on a ceasefire on Saturday following the US pressure and four days of intense fighting.
Trump on Sunday praised the leadership of Pakistan and India for agreeing to a ceasefire, pledging to support efforts toward a resolution of the Kashmir dispute and to increase trade substantially with both nations.
In a message posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump called the agreement “historic and heroic” and said both countries had shown “strength, wisdom, and fortitude” by halting what he described as escalating aggression.
This recent escalation marked the worst fighting between the long-time South Asian rivals in nearly three decades, raising fears of a full-scale war in one of the world’s most volatile and densely populated regions.
Tensions escalated after a deadly attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, located in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. India accused Pakistan of orchestrating the attack, though it offered no concrete evidence. Pakistan strongly rejected the allegations.
In retaliation, India took a series of aggressive measures, including closing the Wagah border, cancelling visas, and suspending the Indus Waters Treaty—actions Pakistan denounced as “acts of war.” The situation further deteriorated with India launching missile strikes and drone incursions under what it termed “Operation Sindoor.”
Pakistan responded with “Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” during which its military reportedly shot down five Indian fighter jets—including Rafale aircraft—and intercepted 77 Israeli-manufactured Harop drones.
