Two Pakistan embassy officials leave India after spying claims

New Delhi: Two Pakistan officials expelled by India over spying allegations returned home, an embassy spokesperson said, as the nuclear-armed rivals wrangled over the claims.

The Indian government said on Sunday that the two had been detained for “indulging in espionage activities”, and given 24 hours to leave the country.

The move came amid heightened tensions between the arch-rivals over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which was split between them in 1947 when they gained independence from Britain.

Indian media said the two officials – both working in the embassy visa department – had been detained on Sunday while trying to obtain information on an Indian security establishment.

The pair returned to Pakistan via the Wagah border crossing yesterday, which has been closed for several weeks because of the coronavirus lockdown, a Pakistan embassy spokesperson said.

Pakistan summoned India’s charge d’affaires to express its “condemnation” of the expulsion order.

The foreign ministry called the allegations “baseless” and said Delhi’s action was a “clear violation” of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.

Kashmir has become a bigger source of tension between the two powers since India last August scrapped the region’s semi-autonomous status and imposed a major security clampdown.

In response, Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Delhi and sent back the Indian envoy.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence over Kashmir.

Shelling across their Kashmir demarcation line is a near-daily occurrence, and in February 2019 they conducted tit-for-tat airstrikes.