Abid Hussain and Tahir Khan, working as Visa Assistants at the Pakistan High Commission were apprehended red handed indulging in espionage activities by the Delhi Police on May 31
Both of them are ISI operatives who were working under the disguise of diplomats at the Pakistan High Commission.
The Ministry of External Affairs in its press release said that the two persons have been “declared persona non grata for indulging in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission” and have asked them to leave the country within 24 hours.
Persona non grata in diplomacy implies that a person entering or remaining in a country is prohibited by the particular country’s government. It is the strongest form of censure which a country applies to foreign diplomats.
Pakistan’s Charge de Affaires (Cd’A) was issued a demarche and a strong protest was registered by India for working against India’s national security. The Cd’A was asked to ensure that none of its members of its diplomatic missions indulge in espionage activities or behave in a manner incompatible with their diplomatic status.