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After India declared a Pakistan High Commission staffer persona non grata, Islamabad summoned Indian High Commissioner and conveyed same notice to one Delhi’s diplomats in Pakistan.
A statement issued by Pakistan Foreign Affairs Ministry said that the Foreign Secretary summoned the Indian High Commissioner on 27 October 2016 and conveyed the decision of the Government of Pakistan to declare Surjeet Singh, an official of the Indian High Commission, as persona non grata.
“The Foreign Secretary expressed deep concern over the activities of the Indian official that were in violation of the Vienna Convention and the established diplomatic norms,” the statement added. “The Indian High Commission has been asked to make urgent necessary arrangements for Surjeet Singh and his family to leave Pakistan by 29 October 2016.”
On Wednesday, Delhi asked Pakistan High Commission staffer to leave India allegedly for espionage reasons within 48 hours.
Mahmood Akhtar, 35, was caught by the police on Wednesday at the Delhi zoo, while he was allegedly receiving “sensitive intelligence and documents” from two men from Rajasthan.
The men were arrested but Akhtar was let off because of diplomatic immunity.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit on Thursday and said Akhtar is persona non grata and he and his family must leave by Saturday.
