Pakistan has violated the Vienna Convention, India said today (Feature)
New Delhi:
India to cut staff of Pakistan’s high commission in New Delhi by 50% and recall a similar number of officials from its commission in Islamabad, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday in an ongoing diplomatic conflict between the two nations .
The reduction must be implemented within seven days, added the ministry.
The ministry said that Pakistan ‘s case load had been summoned this morning and that India had repeatedly expressed concern over Pakistani officials for “spying” and maintaining “relations with terrorist organizations “.
“Pakistan’s behavior is not in accordance with the Vienna Convention and the bilateral agreements on the treatment of diplomatic and consular officials. On the contrary, it is an intrinsic element of a broader policy in support of violence and cross-border terrorism, “said the government. .
“The recent kidnapping, under threat of a gun, of two Indian officials and their serious ill-treatment show how far Pakistan has gone in this direction,” he added.
“They (also) have been implicated in acts of espionage and maintain relations with terrorist organizations. The activities of the two officials caught in the act and expelled on May 31, 2020 are an example,” the government said.
Last week, two members of the Indian High Commission, missing in Islamabad since 8 a.m., were found late at night after a strong complaint from New Delhi.
Government sources said the two men, who were drivers and injured, were in the custody of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. Pakistan said it had been involved in a traffic accident and shared a police-filed FIR to support his statement.
“Officials who returned to India on June 22, 2020 have provided graphic details of the barbaric treatment they have suffered from Pakistani agencies,” the government said today in reference to the incident.
Earlier this month, the Department of External Affairs said that two officials from the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi had been arrested for spying.
Sources said the two men – identified as Abeed Hussain and Tahir Khan – worked in the visa section and used false identity documents to get around. They were declared persona non grata and ordered to leave India within 24 hours.
Ties between India and Pakistan have been strained in recent years and have worsened with the recent incidents of border shootings and the terrorist attacks in Kashmir.
