New Delhi: India on Thursday declared a Pakistani High Commission staffer in New Delhi persona non grata for his alleged involvement in espionage activities. Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar summoned the Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit to the foreign office on Thursday morning after news reports that the Pakistani staffer had been detained by the Delhi police crime branch with defence related documents in his possession. Ministry of external affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup said Basit was told about the staffer’s espionage activities. Declaring a staffer persona non grata means the official would have to leave his post in New Delhi. Accusations of spying and espionage activities are routinely levelled by India and Pakistan against diplomats and staffers of the other country stationed in New Delhi and Islamabad.

Source: Mint October 27, 2016 06:09 UTC