Pakistan High Commission staffer expelled for espionage, linked to case on leak of Army movements

Security unit extracurricular the Pakistan High Commission successful New Delhi connected May 7, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI

Amid continuing tensions betwixt India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declared an authoritative of the Pakistan High Commission “persona non grata” (PNG), expelling him for espionage. The determination concerning the official, who was not named by either side, was conveyed to Pakistan Charge d’Affaires Saad Warraich, who was issued a demarche, asking the staffer to permission India wrong 24 hours. 

“The Government of India has declared a Pakistani official, moving astatine the Pakistan High Commission successful New Delhi, persona non grata for indulging successful activities not successful keeping with his authoritative presumption successful India,” the MEA connection said, without providing immoderate details of what the staffer is believed to person done. 

India-Pakistan ceasefire LIVE | Follow the updates connected May 13, 2025

Sources told The Hindu that the expelled High Commission staffer was linked to 2 radical arrested successful Punjab for “espionage activities” by Punjab Police connected the play for “leaking delicate accusation regarding Indian Army movements” to Pakistan. The lawsuit is important fixed the monolithic unit movements and cross-border subject actions since May 7, including of the Indian Army and Air Force, arsenic good arsenic the build-up of troops on the border.

In a connection connected Sunday (May 11, 2025), the constabulary successful Malerkotla said that the 2 accused had been giving the accusation to a “Pakistan-based handler” and receiving payments done online transactions successful exchange. The constabulary said the web of different section operatives connected to them was besides being identified, and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered successful the case.

“This cognition marks a important measurement successful dismantling cross-border espionage networks and reinforces our committedness to nationalist security. Further probe volition beryllium undertaken arsenic per established protocol, with a absorption connected tracing the fiscal way and identifying further operatives and linkages wrong the network,” the Punjab Police said successful its statement.

Pakistan did not respond to the announcement, nor was it wide whether it would retaliate oregon effort to reflector the action. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam panic attack connected April 22, India expelled defence attaches from the Pakistan High Commission and reduced the permitted unit spot from 55 to 30, and Pakistan had done the same, sending backmost diplomats from the Indian High Commission successful Islamabad and scaling down the mission.

Despite the ceasefire knowing successful spot since Saturday (May 10, 2025), ties betwixt Delhi and Islamabad remained acrimonious. On Tuesday (May 13, 2025), the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a crisp connection responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s code to the federation connected Monday (May 12, 2025) night, successful which Mr. Modi extolled Operation Sindoor arsenic a large success, and said that India had acceptable a “new normal” for Pakistan’s behaviour, wherever immoderate cross-border panic onslaught would beryllium treated arsenic an enactment of warfare and Pakistan would look retaliation for it from India.

“Pakistan wholly rejects this assertion,” the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said successful a statement, adding that the norm would beryllium the U.N. Charter, and said Pakistan would “closely show India’s actions and behaviour successful this regard”, calling connected the planetary assemblage to bash the same. 

Reacting to the statement, the MEA said that Pakistan had “nurtured coercion connected an concern scale”, and could not “escape the consequences” of its actions. “There is present a caller normal. The sooner Pakistan gets utilized to it, the better,” the Ministry’s spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said successful effect to a question.

Published - May 13, 2025 11:54 p.m. IST