ISLAMABAD: Citing official sources, a News daily in Pakistan has on Friday reported that both Pakistan and India have been considering to recall their High Commissioners and scale down the diplomatic staff. The decision comes in the wake of a latest diplomatic spat between the neighbors, which charged each other with carrying espionage activities through staffers serving in High Commission.
Last Week, the Indian government has declared a person working in the High Commission of Pakistan as Persona non-grata for allegedly carrying espionage activities. The accused diplomat Mehmood Akhtar, was found possessing a fake Aadhar card when the Delhi Police started their investigation. Also, the Police revealed that the suspected staffer has identified himself as a deputy to ISI and in addition named others working under him in Pakistan High commission for India.
Immediately after the Indian government revealed the names of the Pakistan staffers carrying espionage activities to the media, the Pakistan government retaliated by declaring a staffer in Indian High Commission as persona non-grata. The decision comes as a tit-for-tat to the Indian government action against Mehmood Akhtar.
At the end, due to the straining diplomatic relations between the two countries, the safety of the staffers working in High commission has been compromised. Therefore, it has been reported that the two neighbors are considering to recall their High Commissioners and cut short other diplomats.
The news report from the Pakistan daily quoted that it is common for both the countries to spy on each other’s activities from their respective High Commissions, while adding that both the countries knew of espionage activity, citing an undisclosed official. The news report said that the best possible option for the neighbors as of now is to recall their staffers temporarily, to avoid further conflicts