Indian High Commission official leaves Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Indian High Commission official who was declared persona non grata by Pakistan left the country with his family on Saturday, sources confirmed.

Surjeet Singh was declared persona non grata on October 27 and told to leave Pakistan in 48 hours by the Foreign Office. In an official statement released by the Foreign Office it was said, “The Foreign Secretary expressed deep concern over the activities of the Indian official that were in violation of the Vienna Convention and the established diplomatic norms.”

The Foreign Office had also summoned Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale and protested against Indian action of declaring a Pakistan High Commission staff member as persona non grata.

On Thursday, Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi, Abdul Basit was called by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to convey the decision of the Indian government that one of the staff members Khalid Mehmood of the High Commission had been declared persona non grata and should leave India by October 29.

The staff member was picked up by Indian authorities on October 26 on false and unsubstantiated charges. He was released in about three hours after the intervention of the Pakistan High Commission.

According to reports in the Indian media, Mehmood was accused of obtaining Indian defence documents. Mehmood was released as he is entitled to diplomatic immunity; however India has asked him to leave the country in 48 hours.