India expels Pakistani official at mission; given 24 hours to leave country

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday expelled a Pakistani official posted at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi, declaring him "persona non grata" for engaging in activities incompatible with his diplomatic status.The ministry of external affairs said in a statement, "The Centre has declared a Pakistani official, working at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi, persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India. The official has been asked to leave India within 24 hours. Charge d’ Affaires, Pakistan high commission, was issued a demarche to this effect today."The expulsion comes shortly after a senior Indian military officer briefed defence attaches and representatives from around 70 countries on the successful conduct of Operation Sindoor, India’s major counterterror operation launched in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam earlier this month.Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, saw the Indian armed forces launch precision strikes on nine terror launchpads across Pakistan, including major hubs linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke.In response, Pakistan carried out multiple drone incursions into Indian airspace over the following nights. These were swiftly intercepted and neutralised by India's air defence systems. India then escalated its offensive, destroying key Pakistani military installations, including Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Airbase and the Rahim Yar Khan airbase.Though both nations agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday, an initiative said to have originated from Islamabad, the peace agreement was short-lived. Within hours of the talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs), Pakistan violated the agreement, reigniting tensions.