India Declares Pakistani Diplomat Persona Non Grata Amid Rising Tensions

India's Diplomatic Action Against Pakistan

On Tuesday, India officially designated a staff member from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as persona non grata, citing involvement in activities inconsistent with his diplomatic role.

The Ministry of External Affairs of India announced that the individual must exit the country within a 24-hour timeframe, although the official's identity was not disclosed.

In diplomatic terms, a persona non grata refers to a foreign diplomat or staff member who is considered unwelcome by the host nation.

This announcement follows a recent agreement between India and Pakistan to cease hostilities after a four-day conflict.

Escalating tensions between the two nations began on May 7, when the Indian military executed strikes, known as Operation Sindoor, targeting what it described as terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

These military actions were a response to a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals on April 22.

In retaliation, the Pakistan Army engaged in shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control, leading to the deaths of at least 22 Indian civilians and seven military personnel.

Following the Pahalgam incident, India also declared Pakistan's military advisers in New Delhi as persona non grata and announced the withdrawal of its own defence advisers from Islamabad.

Additionally, India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, stating it would remain inactive until Pakistan effectively ceased its support for cross-border terrorism.

The Indus Waters Treaty was established in 1960 with the World Bank as a signatory.