ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has summoned Indian Charge d’Affaires Geetka Srivastava and informed New Delhi in writing of its retaliatory decisions, diplomatic sources said.
As per details, the Indian High Commission has been informed of the decision to declare its Defense, Air, and Naval Attachés in Islamabad as ‘persona non grata.’
According to diplomatic sources, the Foreign Office has informed the defence advisors and supporting staff of the decision to leave Pakistan.
The Indian Charge d’Affaires has also been informed of the decision to downgrade diplomatic relations. As part of this decision, Pakistan is limiting the staff of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to 30 members.
The Indian diplomat was also informed of the possibility of suspending the Simla agreement and other pacts in response to the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, diplomatic sources said.
“All Indian citizens, except Sikh pilgrims, were also informed of the decision to leave Pakistan within 48 hours, and the decision to close the Wagah check post,” sources added.
Pakistan also informed India of the decision to formally close its airspace to all Indian commercial flights and to suspend Pak-India trade, including indirect trade.
The measures were taken in a tit-for-tat move after the slew of aggressive measures taken by New Delhi, the National Security Committee (NSC) has warned that any move by India to divert the flow of water lawfully belonging to Pakistan will be “considered an act of war”.
The move comes in response to India’s unilateral decision to suspend the six-decade-old Indus Water Treaty and also taking other steps against Pakistan in the aftermath of an attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
