Pakistan recalls officials in further diplomatic spat

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan expelled two Indian diplomats from Islamabad and recalled officials from New Delhi on Wednesday, local media said, in a further sign of mounting tensions between the regional rivals.

The expulsion of the Indian diplomats and the recall of six officials from the High Commission in India came after the Indian authorities named them as part of an alleged spy ring, broadcaster ARY TV reported, quoting senior Foreign Ministry officials.

Earlier, Pakistan had withdrawn six diplomats from its New Delhi embassy.

The row came amid rising tension between the countries over the disputed region of Kashmir.

Last week, India expelled a Pakistani diplomat from the embassy after arresting him on espionage charges. The move was followed with the expulsion of an Indian diplomat by Pakistan.

The Indian government has reportedly decided to withdraw eight officials from the High Commission in Islamabad after they were identified as intelligence agents, India’s Zee TV reported, citing unnamed Indian Foreign Ministry sources.

A wave of recent border clashes in Kashmir has claimed around two dozen lives from both sides over the last two weeks.

New Delhi blamed an attack last month on an army base in Indian-held Kashmir that left 18 soldiers dead on militants based in Pakistan.

The neighboring countries, which are locked in a string of land-and-sea disputes, have fought three wars since 1947, two of them over Kashmir.