The decision comes amid a rapidly intensifying standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday, Indian Charge d’Affaires Geetika Srivastava was summoned to Islamabad, where she was handed a formal protest letter. The FO instructed Indian diplomatic staff to immediately cease all activities that violate diplomatic norms.
The statement revealed that the Indian official was involved in actions inconsistent with their diplomatic status, leading to their expulsion under international diplomatic protocol. “An official of the Indian High Commission in Pakistan has been declared persona non grata,” the FO stated, “and has been ordered to leave Pakistan within 24 hours.”
This diplomatic flare-up comes just one day after India expelled a Pakistani High Commission official in New Delhi, accusing them of espionage. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also used the term ‘persona non grata’ and gave the Pakistani official 24 hours to exit India. This followed a similar expulsion on May 13, when India removed another Pakistani diplomat over alleged spying activities.
Tensions reached a boiling point following the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed. In the aftermath, India launched missile strikes on civilian areas in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir on May 7 — a move Pakistan swiftly responded to by destroying Indian military assets, including fighter jets.
The situation alarmed the region, forcing India to appeal to the United States for diplomatic intervention. Eventually, on May 10, military operations were suspended after both nations’ Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) agreed to a ceasefire following high-level talks.
But with tit-for-tat expulsions now piling up, the question remains — is this the start of a diplomatic meltdown or just the calm before another storm?
