India, Pakistan expel diplomats in fresh row over spying claims  

On May 13, India ordered a Pakistani High Commission official to leave the country within 24 hours, accusing him of “indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status.”

New Delhi also summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires and issued a formal protest over the incident.

Shortly after, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it had declared an Indian High Commission staffer in Islamabad “persona non grata” for similar reasons and asked the official to leave within the same time frame.

“The Indian Charge d’Affaires was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today for a démarche, conveying this decision,” the ministry said on social media platform X.

Indian government sources linked the Pakistani official to recent arrests in the northern state of Punjab, where local police say espionage activities were uncovered.

Two people, including a woman, were arrested over the weekend for allegedly passing sensitive information about army movements to a Pakistani handler. The suspects, named as Guzala and Yameen Mohamad, are from the town of Malerkotla.

This follows earlier arrests by Punjab police of two other individuals in Amritsar, accused of sharing photos and details of military bases with Pakistan’s intelligence agency.

The latest move reduces the strength of Pakistan’s High Commission staff in New Delhi to 29.

Diplomatic staff numbers have been a point of friction in the past. In October, India expelled 25 Pakistani officials, including military personnel, after a terror attack in Pahalgam.

India also withdrew an equal number of its diplomats from Islamabad as part of a tit-for-tat response.

Tensions between both countries have escalated in recent times, especially over cross-border terrorism and espionage claims.

The latest diplomatic dispute adds to an already strained relationship between the two countries.