India to scale down diplomatic ties with Pakistan by half

In a major move to scale down bilateral diplomatic contacts, India today announced its decision to reduce by half the staff strength in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and reciprocally cut by the same quantity the Indian presence in Islamabad.

This decision, which is to be implemented in seven days, was conveyed to the Pakistani Charge d'Affaires, who was summoned today to the Ministry of External Affairs, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The MEA said in a statement that the Pakistani diplomat was told India had repeatedly expressed concerns about the activities of officials of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi who "have been engaged in acts of espionage and maintained dealings with terrorist organisations."

The arrest by Delhi Police of two officials of the high commission for espionage and their expulsion from India on May 31 this year was one example in that regard, the MEA said.

"While their officials indulged in actions that are not in conformity with their privileged status in the High Commission, Pakistan has in parallel engaged in a sustained campaign to intimidate the officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad from carrying on their legitimate diplomatic functions," India said.

"The recent abduction at gunpoint of two Indian officials and their severe ill treatment underlines the extent to which Pakistan has gone in that direction. These officials who have returned to India on 22 June 2020 have provided graphic details of the barbaric treatment that they experienced at the hands of Pakistani agencies," the MEA statement said.

It said "the behaviour of Pakistan and its officials is not in conformity with the Vienna Convention and bilateral agreements on the treatment of diplomatic and consular officials.

"On the contrary, it is an intrinsic element of a larger policy of (Pakistan) supporting cross-border violence and terrorism," the MEA said.

"Therefore, the Government of India has taken the decision to reduce the staff strength in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi by 50 percent. It would reciprocally reduce its own presence in Islamabad to the same proportion," according to the statement.