India has expelled another official from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, for engaging in activities incompatible with their official status, specifically accusing them of espionage. This marks the second such expulsion in just over a week, further escalating tensions between the two neighboring countries. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has declared the official persona non grata and has directed them to leave the country within 24 hours.
The MEA issued a demarche to the Pakistan High Commission's Charge d'Affaires, Saad Warraich, conveying the government's strong stance against the misuse of privileges and status by Pakistani diplomats and officials in India. They were warned to ensure strict adherence to diplomatic norms. The MEA, however, has not yet divulged the specific charges against the expelled official.
This expulsion follows a similar action on May 13, 2025, when another Pakistani official, Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, was expelled on similar charges of espionage. These actions are taking place amidst a backdrop of heightened tensions and recent events, including India's strikes on alleged terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), which were conducted under Operation Sindoor, and the subsequent military confrontation between the two nations. These strikes were reportedly launched in retaliation to the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Baisaran near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people were killed.
The recent actions also coincide with the unearthing of an alleged espionage network and the arrest of several individuals, including a YouTube vlogger from Haryana, Jyoti Malhotra, on suspicion of involvement in espionage activities linked to Pakistani intelligence operatives.
According to police in Amritsar, they busted a spy ring with the arrest of two people who were involved in obtaining sensitive information and passing it on to their Pakistani handlers. Intelligence agencies also dismantled a high-stakes espionage ring in a meticulously planned three-month-long covert operation, dealing a significant blow to ISI’s attempts to carry out a terrorist strike in the national capital. The operation culminated in the arrest of two highly trained individuals, including Ansarul Miya Ansari, a Pakistani operative tasked with gathering sensitive information about Indian armed forces, sources said.
These developments indicate a further deterioration of diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan, with both sides accusing each other of engaging in activities that undermine their respective national security interests.
