India has decided to withdraw eight diplomats from its High Commission in Pakistan citing security concerns after their identities were disclosed by the local media, NDTV reported on Wednesday quoting External Affairs Ministry officials, who were not identified. Pakistani media had earlier reported that the Nawaz Sharif government was likely to expel five Indian diplomats on charges of espionage activities. Reports about Delhi's move to pull out its diplomats surfaced only hours after Islamabad withdrew six of its officials from its High Commission office in Delhi.
On Tuesday, Pakistani newspaper Dawn had carried a report anticipating the Pakistan government's move. Wednesday's developments come days after the Narendra Modi government allegedly listed them as Inter-Services Intelligence personnel. The Times of India reported that Delhi was considering withdrawing two officials — Rajesh Agnihotri and Balbir Singh — from the Indian high commission in Islamabad after their photos appeared on Pakistani news channels.
The local media claimed that the two were involved in spying on the neighbouring country. The Geo TV reportedly claimed that Agnihotri was an agent with India's Research and Analytics Wing, and Singh worked for the Intelligence Bureau. They said Singh was involved in running a network of militants in Pakistan. The Nawaz Sharif government's decision to pull out the officials is being perceived as a response to India expelling Pakistani diplomat Mehmood Akhtar after declaring him "persona non-grata" (an unacceptable or unwelcome person) for espionage activities.
Pakistan had responded to the development by ordering Indian diplomat Surjeet Singh to leave the country, declaring him, too, persona non-grata, which India claimed was unjustified. The Dawn report said India's listing of the Pakistani officials’ names has compromised their security. An official who was not identified had said that the son of one of the listed officers had to be taken home from school after he was "ridiculed" by his classmates following the disclosure.
The Pakistani officials who were pulled out on Wednesday include commercial counsellor Syed Furrukh Habib and first secretaries Khadim Hussain, Mudassir Cheema and Shahid Iqbal. Akhtar, who gave out the names, has said that he was forced by Indian officials to read out a written statement that had the names of the officers. He has also claimed that investigators threatened to inject him with a heart-attack inducing substance if he didn't comply with their orders. Akhtar named 16 "staffers" involved in an alleged espionage network.
Relations between India and Pakistan have worsened since the militant attack on the Army's camp in Kashmir's Uri sector on September 18.
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