India declares Pak high commission official persona non grata, asked to leave country in 24 hours

In a strong diplomatic move, the Government of India on Tuesday declared a Pakistani official posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as persona non grata for allegedly engaging in activities incompatible with his diplomatic status. The official has been ordered to leave Indian territory within 24 hours.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a formal demarche to the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission, notifying them of the decision. The expulsion comes amid a sharp deterioration in bilateral ties following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians — most of them tourists, including a Nepalese national.

In response to the attack, India launched "Operation Sindoor", a series of targeted strikes against terror infrastructure inside Pakistan. The diplomatic fallout has included a series of retaliatory measures by India aimed at isolating Pakistan internationally.

These steps include:

Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty

Closure of the Integrated Check Post at Attari

Downgrading diplomatic missions in both countries

Revocation of all previously issued visas to Pakistani nationals, effective April 27

Suspension of fresh visa services for Pakistani citizens

The MEA clarified that Pakistani medical visa holders may remain in India until April 29, and that Long-Term Visas issued to Hindu Pakistani nationals will continue to remain valid. However, all other Pakistani nationals currently residing in India must leave before their amended visa expiry dates.

Additionally, Indian nationals have been advised to avoid all travel to Pakistan. Those currently in Pakistan have been urged to return to India at the earliest.

In an earlier development, Indian authorities directed all Pakistani citizens who had entered India via the Attari land border to exit by May 1. They also announced that Pakistani citizens would no longer be eligible for benefits under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).

The April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam has been described by officials as the deadliest civilian-targeted attack in Jammu and Kashmir in nearly two decades and the most devastating since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.