Pakistan told to halve high commission staff strength
THE MOVE CAME WEEKS AFTER TWO JUNIOR OFFICIALS OF THE PAK HIGH COMMISSION WERE EXPELLED ON CHARGES OF SPYING ON MAY 31
nNEWDELHI:INDIA on Tuesday asked Pakistan to reduce the strength of its high commission in New Delhi by half, saying the actions of Pakistani officials were part of a “larger policy of supporting cross-border violence and terrorism”.
Pakistan’s charge d’affaires Syed Haider Shah was summoned to the external affairs ministry and informed that the high commission’s strength should be reduced by 50% within a week. Shah was told India will reciprocally reduce its diplomatic presence in Islamabad by the same proportion, the ministry said.
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s foreign ministry summoned India’s chargé d’affaires and rejected and condemned what it said were the “baseless Indian allegations”. The Indian diplomat was informed of Pakistan’s decision to reduce the Indian mission’s strength by 50% as a reciprocal measure within seven days.
The move came weeks after two junior officials of the Pakistan high commission were expelled on charges of spying on May 31. In response, Pakistani security agencies detained two staff members of the Indian mission in Islamabad for allegedly causing a road accident last week and possessing fake currency.
India denied these charges and the two staff members returned via the Wagah land border crossing on Monday. The external affairs ministry has accused Pakistan of detaining them on false charges and torturing them.
People familiar with matter said India’s move followed security agencies uncovering several instances of Pakistani officials based in New Delhi being allegedly linked to terror activities.
While investigating the case of Jammu and Kashmir Police’s deputy superintendent Davinder Singh, who was caught with two Hizbul Mujahideen commanders on January 10, the National Investigation Agency had found that all three were in “constant touch” with an assistant in the Pakistani mission named Shafqat, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity. Shafqat, the people said, was allegedly a conduit for hawala transactions and terror financing.
In another instance, the NIA had found that Mudassar Iqbal Cheema, posted at the Pakistani mission as first secretary (press) from September 2015 to November 2016, was allegedly involved in providing funds to several Hurriyat leaders through one Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali.
Cheema and five other Pakistani officials in New Delhi were withdrawn by Islamabad on November 2, 2016, the people said.
They said Watali was in contact with Inter-services Intelligence officials, who allegedly provided funding to the Hurriyat leaders. A document found during a search of Watali’s premises by NIA had details of a total of ₹ 70 lakh provided on two occasions by the Pakistani officials and payments made to several leaders. This document had mentioned Cheema, the people said.
According to a reciprocal arrangement, the current strength of the Indian and Pakistani high commissions is 110. However, both missions are not functioning at full strength and some 40-odd officials will have to be sent back by each side, people familiar with developments said.
Pakistan unilaterally downgraded diplomatic relations after India scrapped Jammu & Kashmir’s special status last August and expelled the Indian high commissioner from Islamabad. It had also decided against sending a new envoy to New Delhi. The post was vacant at the time. The missions in New Delhi and Islamabad have been headed by the deputy high commissioners since then.
The last time India asked Pakistan to make a similar reduction in the strength of its high commission in New Delhi was in December 2001, after the terror attack on Parliament by Pakistan-based terror groups.