ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday condemned what it called the detention and torture of two of its embassy officials expelled by Indian authorities in New Delhi under allegations of ‘espionage.’
Earlier, a statement by the Indian foreign ministry said two Pakistani officials had been apprehended and asked to leave the country within 24 hours for ‘indulging in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission.’
Pakistan slammed New Delhi’s statement and said the charges against its two High Commission officials were false and unsubstantiated.
“We condemn the detention and torture as well as threatening and pressuring of the diplomatic officials to accept false charges,” Pakistan’s statement said.
“Pakistan strongly rejects the baseless Indian allegations and deplores the Indian action which is in clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as well as the norms of diplomatic conduct especially in an already vitiated atmosphere,” the statement continued.
Tensions between the two nuclear armed rivals have been simmering since August last year, when New Delhi revoked the special legal status of Indian-administered Kashmir. The countries have fought two wars over the region and their forces regularly trade fire across the de facto border between the two countries-- the 740-km long Line of Control.
Last week, Indian police freed a pigeon belonging to a Pakistani fisherman after an investigation confirmed that the bird, which had flown across the border into India, was not engaged in spying.
