Pakistan on Friday officially announced Surjeet Singh, Assistant Personnel and Welfare officer in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, to be a persona non grata for his "activities that were not in the interest of the national security of Pakistan" and accused India of involving in "terror financing" and "terrorist activities" in the state.
"His activities were not in the interest of the national security of Pakistan. And secondly, we are all aware of the Indian state-sponsored activities, state involvement in terrorism in Pakistan. Unlike India which does not have any proof but they just level the baseless allegations against Pakistan, Pakistan has irrefutable proof of Indian involvement in terror financing and also terrorist activities in Pakistan," Pakistan Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in a press briefing.
The development comes a day after Indian authorities detained Mehmood Akhtar, an official of the Pakistan High Commission, on charges of espionage and later asked him to leave India within 48 hours.
According to Indian officials, Akhtar was caught in possession of sensitive documents.
"The foreign secretary summoned the Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale on October and conveyed the decision of the government of Pakistan to declare Surjeet Singh, an official of the Indian High Commission as persona non grata," Zakaria said.
"The Indian High Commission has been asked to make urgent necessary arrangements for Surjeet Singh and his family to leave Pakistan by October 29," he added.
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