India has expelled a Pakistani diplomat for alleged spying. The government in New Delhi gave him 24 hours to leave the country.
This action was taken on Tuesday, May 14, as reported by Al Jazeera. The news comes during a time of rising tension between India and Pakistan.
According to Al Jazeera, India did not directly say the diplomat was spying. However, the Ministry of External Affairs said he was involved in activities that did not match his official role as a diplomat.
The name of the Pakistani official has not been shared with the public.
Tensions have been high between the two countries since a deadly terrorist attack last month. The attack took place on April 22 in Pahalgam, a town in Jammu and Kashmir. It killed 26 people. This was the worst attack in the region since the Pulwama attack in 2019.
Soon after the attack, a group called The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility. Early investigations say TRF is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist group based in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
India has blamed Pakistan for supporting such groups. In response to the April 22 attack, India took strong steps. One of the first was suspending the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. This deal had allowed both countries to share river water.
India also took other measures. In return, Pakistan hit back. It suspended the Simla Agreement and closed its airspace to Indian aircraft. Pakistan also stopped all trade with India.
Things became more serious on May 6. That night, Indian forces carried out a military strike called “Operation Sindoor.” It took place in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and nearby areas. India claimed it killed 70 militants during the operation. Pakistan said only 31 were killed and 57 were injured.
Three days later, Pakistan launched its own operation. It was named “Operation Bunyani ul-Marsus.” The name means “Wall of Lead” in Arabic. This action added more fuel to the fire.
Both countries seemed ready for more conflict. But then the United States stepped in. U.S. officials pushed both sides to stop the fighting. As a result, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday, May 10.
The ceasefire brought some hope. But peace did not last long. Just hours after the deal, reports came in of more attacks in Kashmir. Each side blamed the other for breaking the ceasefire.
Both India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons. So any tension between them worries the world. The recent events have made many fear a larger war could happen.
Now, with the expulsion of the Pakistani diplomat, tensions may rise again. Experts say such moves are serious. Expelling a diplomat is a strong message between countries. It shows deep mistrust and growing conflict.
So far, Pakistan has not made an official reply to the expulsion. But in the past, such actions have led to tit-for-tat moves. That means Pakistan might now expel an Indian diplomat in return.
The situation remains unstable. The ceasefire is shaky. New reports of violence keep coming in from Kashmir. Talks of peace continue, but with each passing day, they get harder to believe.
As both nations trade blame and threats, the world watches closely. The hope is that cooler heads will stop this from becoming something worse.
