ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI - Pakistan on Sunday condemned India’s decision to declare two officials of the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi persona non grata requiring them to leave India within 24 hours.

The Indian action was accompanied by a negative pre-planned and orchestrated media campaign, which is a part of persistent anti-Pakistan propaganda, said a foreign ministry statement.

Two staff members of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were lifted by the Indian authorities yesterday (May 31) on false and unsubstantiated charges. They were, however, released on intervention by the High Commission. We condemn the detention and torture as well as threatening and pressuring of the diplomatic officials to accept false charges.

“Pakistan strongly rejects the baseless Indian allegations and deplores the Indian action which is in clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as well as the norms of diplomatic conduct especially in an already vitiated atmosphere,” said the statement.

The High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi has always worked within the parameters of international law and diplomatic norms. The Indian action is clearly aimed at shrinking diplomatic space for the working of Pakistan High Commission, it said.

The Indian attempts to escalate the tensions will not succeed in diverting attention either from the ongoing internal and external issues faced by the BJP government or from the worsening situation and gross human rights violations being perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the statement said.

Pakistan urged the international community to take notice of the Indian designs and play its role in ensuring peace and security in South Asia.

Earlier, Indian media claimed that two officials of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were apprehended by the Indian law enforcement authorities on Sunday and asked to leave the country within 24 hours. According to the Indian ministry of external affairs, the government declared both these officials persona non-grata asked them to leave India within twenty-four hours.

Pakistan summons Indian CdA over diplomats expulsion

Pakistan yesterday summoned Indian Charge d’Affaires to the Foreign Office for a demarche over declaring two officials of Pakistan High Commission persona non grata.

The Indian diplomat was summoned to the Foreign Office for a strong demarche, conveying Pakistan’s condemnation of the Indian decision to declare two officials of the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi persona non grata and rejection of all baseless Indian allegations against the High Commission officials, said a foreign ministry statement.

“It was conveyed that the Indian action was in clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the diplomatic norms,” the statement said.