The Government of India on Tuesday expelled a staffer from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi for allegedly being involved in espionage activities. The official was declared persona non grata for actions “not in keeping with his official status in India” and was ordered to leave the country within 24 hours.
The Ministry of External Affairs also issued a formal diplomatic protest, or demarche, to the charge d’affaires of the Pakistan High Commission, Saad Warraich.
Punjab Police arrest two for spying
The expulsion follows the arrest of two individuals from Punjab who were allegedly spying for Pakistan. Punjab Police revealed on May 11 that the men had provided sensitive information regarding Indian Army movements to a Pakistan-based handler associated with the high commission in New Delhi.
According to Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, the initial arrest was made based on credible intelligence inputs. The second person was detained after information provided by the first accused.
Money trail and further investigation
Investigators found that the accused had received money via online transactions in exchange for sharing classified information. They were in regular contact with the handler and were also suspected of distributing funds to other local operatives under the handler’s direction.
Previous actions against Pakistan
This move comes shortly after India took strong diplomatic steps against Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 civilians. India had earlier expelled three defence attaches from the Pakistani mission and reduced the number of diplomatic staff in each other’s capitals from 55 to 30.
The latest expulsion highlights rising tensions between the two countries amid increasing concerns over cross-border espionage and terrorism.
