Pak summons Indian envoy, expels High Commission Official Surjeet Singh
Now, Pakistan has also asked Indian official, Surjeet Singh, to leave the country, said reports.
In a statement, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: "The Indian action has been accompanied by an extremely negative and orchestrated media campaign."
The statement said: "We reject the Indian allegations and deplore the Indian action which is indeed a violation of the Vienna Convention as well as the norms of diplomatic conduct especially in an already vitiated atmosphere."
The ministry also said that this act by India is an indication of the "shrinking diplomatic" relations between the two countries.
"Pakistan High Commission has always been working within the parameters of international law and diplomatic norms. This act clearly reflects Indian actions to shrink diplomatic space for the working of Pakistan High Commission," it said.
"The Indian attempts to escalate the tensions and divert the international attention from the grave human rights violations being perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir can never succeed. Pakistan urges the international community to take notice of the Indian designs," it added.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar, who has been identified as the kingpin of the espionage racket, has been asked to leave India as he enjoyed diplomatic immunity.
Delhi Police said he had a forged Aadhaar Card on him, media reported.
The Pakistan staffer has been declared "persona non grata" for espionage, Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit was summoned on Thursday and told by the foreign ministry, reported NDTV.
Sources told CNN-News18 that Mehmood Akhtar was under watch for a while now and was held with classified documents related to Indian defence positions.
Meanwhile, Pak envoy Abdul Basit has lodged protests against detention of staffer, saying it was in violation of the Vienna Convention, NDTV reported.
Two Indians, from Rajasthan, who allegedly passed on sensitive information to Mehmood Akhtar have been arrested by the Delhi Police.
The men, who were arrested, Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir, had accessed sensitive defence-related documents.
The media quoted Delhi Police as saying that the suspects used to meet in Delhi Zoo.
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