Two from Pak mission expelled for ‘espionage’

India on Sunday expelled two officials of the Pakistan high commission after they were apprehended by law enforcement authorities on charges of engaging in espionage, the external affairs ministry said.

Officials of the special cell of Delhi Police, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said three officials of the Pakistani mission were detained at Bikanervala Chowk in Karol Bagh on Sunday while allegedly trying to obtain classified materials on the Indian security establishment.

The three men – identified as Abid Hussain Abid, 42, an assistant in the Pakistani mission, Mohammad Tahir Khan, 44, a clerk, and Javed Hussain, 36, a driver – had been under surveillance for the past few months, the officials said. “They were caught red-handed while obtaining documents on the Indian security establishment from an Indian national and handing over cash and an iphone to him,” said one of the officials cited above. The three men initially claimed they were Indians and even produced fake Aadhaar cards, the officials said. “Later, during interrogation, they confessed they were officials at the Pakistan high commission and worked for the Interservices Intelligence (ISI),” a second official said.

A case was registered against them under the Official Secrets Act, the officials said. The detentions were the result of an operation jointly mounted by Delhi Police and Military Intelligence, they added. Subsequently, the government ordered the expulsion of Abid and Khan, who both work for the visa section at the Pakistani mission. Abid had been posted in the mission since December 2018, while Khan was posted here in October 2015.

A statement issued by the external affairs ministry, without naming the detained men, said: “Two officials of the high commission of Pakistan in New Delhi were apprehended today [Sunday] by Indian law enforcement authorities for indulging in espionage activities.”

Pakistan’s charge d’affaires was issued a demarche or formal diplomatic representation, in which a strong protest was lodged.

There was no response from the spokesperson of the Pakistani mission despite attempts to reach him on phone.