The central government has decided to reduce the staff strength in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi by 50% and will, in a reciprocal move, scale down its own presence in Islamabad to the same proportion. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday and said the move would be implemented within seven days.
The usual strength of the High Commission in Delhi is 110, and it will now come down to 55.
"Pakistan's Charge d’Affaires was summoned today and informed that India repeatedly expressed concern about the activities of officials of his High Commission," said the MEA. "They have been engaged in espionage and dealings with terror organisations. Two officials caught red-handed and expelled on May 31 was an example."
India last month had expelled two officials of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on charges of espionage. The Centre had declared the two officials as "persona non grata" and had ordered them to leave the country within 24 hours.
The two officials -- Abid Hussain and Muhammad Tahir -- were caught by the Delhi Police while they were obtaining sensitive documents related to India's security installations from an Indian national in exchange for money, official sources had said in New Delhi.
Pakistan had later summoned a senior Indian diplomat to register its strong protest over the decision to expel its officials.
Earlier this month, the Indian government had summoned Pakistan's Charge d'affaires after the reported arrest of two officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. It was suspected that the two staffers were picked up by Pakistani security agencies to frame them as spies, sources had told CNN-News18.
"While their officials indulged in actions that are not in conformity with their privileged status in the High Commission, Pakistan has in parallel engaged in a sustained campaign to intimidate the officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad from carrying on their legitimate diplomatic functions," said the MEA statement on Tuesday. "The recent abduction at gunpoint of two Indian officials and their severe ill treatment underlines the extent to which Pakistan has gone in that direction. These officials who have returned to India on June 22 have provided graphic details of the barbaric treatment that they experienced at the hands of Pakistani agencies."
The government said the behaviour of Pakistan and its officials is not in conformity with the Vienna Convention and bilateral agreements on the treatment of diplomatic and consular officials. "On the contrary, it is an intrinsic element of a larger policy of supporting cross-border violence and terrorism," it said, adding this was the reason why the decision to scale down the staff strength was taken.
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