India To Slash Pakistan High Commission Staff Strength By 50% Amid Diplomatic Row

India on Tuesday ordered Pakistan to slash its staff strength in the country by half, after the police expelled two Pakistani staffers at the high commission in Delhi on charges of spying and trying to get access to classified information.

Soon after, Pakistani security agencies had put two Indian high commission staffers in Islamabad under custody, tortured them and attempted to frame them in a false case of a road accident and possession of fake currency.

The proposal, as first reported by Hindustan Times, had been moved as soon as horrifying details of the torture of two Indian staffers was conveyed to the external affairs ministry on June 16.

Government officials told Hindustan Times that the high commissions in Delhi and Islamabad had a strength of 110 officials, however, this has been reduced to half to 55.

The external affairs ministry on Tuesday summoned Pakistan's Charge d' Affaires Syed Haider Shah informing them about India's constant concern about the activities of Pakistan officials who have been engaged in acts of espionage.

The two Indians officials who had returned on Monday, the external affairs ministry said, had "provided graphic details of the barbaric treatment that they experienced at the hands of Pakistani agencies".

"The behaviour of Pakistan and its officials is not in conformity with the Vienna Convention and bilateral agreements on the treatment of diplomatic and consular officials. On the contrary, it is an intrinsic element of a larger policy of supporting cross-border violence and terrorism," the ministry said.

"Therefore, the Government of India has taken the decision to reduce the staff strength in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi by 50%. It would reciprocally reduce its own presence in Islamabad to the same proportion. This decision, which is to be implemented in seven days, was conveyed to the Pakistani Charge d'Affaires," the statement read.

In August last year, Pakistan had downgraded diplomatic ties after India removed Jammu and Kashmir's special status and carved out two centrally-administered union territories.

The missions of the two countries have since then been looked after by a charge d'affaires and not a high commissioner.

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