• India expelled a Pakistani official working at the Pakistan High Commission for allegedly indulging in espionage.

• The government of India declared the Pakistani official ‘persona non grata’ for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India.

• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the official was indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India and that he had been given 24 hours to leave the country.

• Hours later, Pakistan declared a staff member of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad ‘persona non grata’ for engaging in activities that it called “incompatible” with his privileged status.

• The actions came amid heightened tensions between the two countries following their four-day military confrontation.

Persona non grata

• ‘Persona non grata’ means “unwelcome person”. It is a strong diplomatic censure a host country can issue.

• The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations specifies the functions of diplomatic missions, the formal rules regulating appointments, declarations of ‘persona non grata’ of a diplomat who has in some way given offence, and precedence among heads of mission. 

• The receiving State may at any time and without having to explain its decision, notify the sending State that the head of the mission or any member of the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona non grata or that any other member of the staff of the mission is not acceptable. In any such case, the sending State shall, as appropriate, either recall the person concerned or terminate his functions with the mission. A person may be declared non grata or not acceptable before arriving in the territory of the receiving State.

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