In a significant diplomatic move, 13 members of the Indian diplomatic mission, including a senior diplomat and their family members, have been sent back to India via the Wagah Border. This move comes in the wake of escalating tensions between Pakistan and India. Additionally, it is expected that staff members of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi will return to Pakistan by Monday.
This diplomatic development follows recent actions by the Indian government, which used the Pulwama attack as a pretext to level unfounded accusations against Pakistan. New Delhi had also declared the Pakistani defense, military, naval, and air force attachés in India as “persona non grata” and demanded their expulsion.
In a retaliatory move, Pakistan ordered the expulsion of Indian defense, military, naval, and air attachés from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and also instructed a reduction in the number of Indian diplomatic staff from 50 to 30.
According to diplomatic sources, both countries have decided to reduce their diplomatic staff in light of the rising tensions. Analysts suggest that this reduction in diplomatic personnel may signal a negative development for peace efforts in South Asia, with the relationship between the two nations potentially becoming even more strained.
