Pakistani officials were detained and tortured by Indian authorities, FO said
Pakistan’s foreign office summoned a senior Indian diplomat to lodge a strong protest over India’s decision to expel two officials of its High Commission in New Delhi. Indian government declared two Pakistani diplomats as Persona Non Grata on charges of espionage.
Pakistan clearly expressed its views that the expulsion was a violation of the Vienna Conventions and called the allegations as baseless. The Indian government has accused that the two diplomats were arrested while engaging in espionage activities.
“The government has declared both these officials persona non grata for indulging in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission,” an official Indian government statement read.
Pakistan foreign spokesperson Aisha Farooqui condemned the actions by the Indian government, who detained and tortured Pakistani diplomats.
“We condemn the detention and torture as well as threatening and pressuring of the diplomatic officials to accept false charges,” said Farooqui. “The High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi has always worked within the parameters of international law and diplomatic norms. The Indian action is clearly aimed at shrinking diplomatic space for the working of Pakistan High Commission.”
The relations between the countries have been sour for the last couple of years. Tensions have been high on the Line of Control as well. Last year India claimed to carry out a strike against militant hideouts while ground situation showed a few trees were damaged. A day later, an Indian Mig 22 was shot down in Pakistani territory, and the pilot was arrested. He was later released as a gesture of goodwill by the Pakistani government.
Kashmir remains the flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed nations. While formal and informal talks have always been ongoing over the matter of Kashmir, it has not been the case for the last few years. India has made constitutional changes, which India’s courts have deemed illegal, to take away any bit of independence left in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.