Two Pakistan Embassy employees in New Delhi caught red-handed spying for ISI; declared persona non grata

Times Now Digital
Updated Jun 01, 2020 | 00:01 IST

India has declared two workers at Pakistan High Commission, New Delhi as "persona non-grata" for spying on the behalf of ISI.

Pakistan Embassy
Pakistan Embassy 

Key Highlights

  • Two officials at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were being expelled for 'indulging in espionage activities'
  • Strong protest lodged over the activities of the two officials against India's national security
  • The government has declared both these officials persona non grata

New Delhi: Two Visa Assistants of Pakistan High Commission were apprehended red-handed indulging in espionage in New Delhi. Two visa assistants Abid Hussain and Tahir Khan work as Visa Assistants and are ISI operatives.

India is declaring them Persona-non grata and they will be departing for Pakistan tomorrow.

As per initial reports, the employees were ISI operatives in the guise of diplomats and were apprehended red-handed by the Delhi Police.  

They initially claimed they were Indian nationals and produced fake Aadhaar cards. Later, during interrogation, they confessed that they were officials at Pakistan High Commission and worked for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

"The government has declared both these officials persona non grata for indulging in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission and asked them to leave the country within twenty-four hours," the MEA said.

Pakistan's Charge de Affaires issued with a strong protest

It further said that Pakistan's Charge de Affairs was issued a demarche in which a strong protest was lodged over the activities of the two officials which were against India's national security.

"Pakistan's Charge de Affairs was asked to ensure that no member of its diplomatic mission should indulge in activities inimical to India or behave in a manner incompatible with their diplomatic status," the MEA said. 

 Pakistani officials posted abroad in embassies have been found involved in serious crimes often bringing embarrassment to the country.

From sexual misconduct to terrorism charges

Recently, a Pakistan Foreign Service Officer posted as First Secretary in Kiev, Ukraine was removed on charges of sexual harassment by a local Ukrainian employee.

Munir Akram, the current Pakistan Permanent Representative at the United Nations, has also been accused of domestic violence by his live-in partner but due to diplomatic immunity was let off. 

Mohammed Arshad Cheema, First Secretary of the Pakistan Embassy in Nepal was arrested in April 2001, by Kathmandu police with 16 kg of RDX.

To keep a tab on the movement of Pakistani diplomats, the US, from May 2018 to 2019, imposed travel restrictions on them thereby effectively curtailing their movement beyond 25-miles radius around Washington DC. 

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