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| India to Expel Officer From Pakistani Mission, Calling Him a Spy | India to Expel Officer From Pakistani Mission, Calling Him a Spy |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| NEW DELHI — India announced on Thursday that it was expelling a Pakistani officer at the country’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi, accusing him of using his consular position to develop an espionage ring, a move likely to worsen tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. | NEW DELHI — India announced on Thursday that it was expelling a Pakistani officer at the country’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi, accusing him of using his consular position to develop an espionage ring, a move likely to worsen tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. |
| The Delhi police said the officer, Mehmood Akhtar, had served for more than two years in the mission’s visa section, which they said had allowed him to recruit Indian citizens to spy for Pakistan. | The Delhi police said the officer, Mehmood Akhtar, had served for more than two years in the mission’s visa section, which they said had allowed him to recruit Indian citizens to spy for Pakistan. |
| A statement from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations as “false and unsubstantiated.” | A statement from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations as “false and unsubstantiated.” |
| In a tit-for-tat announcement Thursday evening, Pakistan announced it would expel an Indian official posted in Islamabad, giving his family 48 hours to leave the country. | |
| Mr. Akhtar was detained on Wednesday, during what the police said was a rendezvous at the gate of the Delhi zoo, where two contacts were to provide information about Indian border deployments in exchange for money. The police said they recovered “secret defense-related maps and deployment charts” as well as lists containing details about Indian military personnel. | Mr. Akhtar was detained on Wednesday, during what the police said was a rendezvous at the gate of the Delhi zoo, where two contacts were to provide information about Indian border deployments in exchange for money. The police said they recovered “secret defense-related maps and deployment charts” as well as lists containing details about Indian military personnel. |
| “We made a good recovery from them,” Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of the Delhi police, said at a news conference on Thursday. “In Old Delhi, the zoo, any tourist spot, they would meet there and exchange documents.” | “We made a good recovery from them,” Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of the Delhi police, said at a news conference on Thursday. “In Old Delhi, the zoo, any tourist spot, they would meet there and exchange documents.” |
| Using diplomatic missions as a cover for intelligence-gathering is not unusual, even between friendly nations, nor is it unusual for the host country to discover them, said A. S. Dulat, a former chief of India’s Research and Analysis Wing. He called slipping intelligence officers into consular positions an “old trick.” | |
| But the public announcement and media clamor around Mr. Akhtar’s detention on Wednesday was unusual, Mr. Dulat said. | |
| “It’s been like that between India and Pakistan of late, everything is getting hyped,” he said. “Let me put it this way: If it was a Chinese or Russian or American, they would not bother too much.” | “It’s been like that between India and Pakistan of late, everything is getting hyped,” he said. “Let me put it this way: If it was a Chinese or Russian or American, they would not bother too much.” |
| Mr. Akhtar was carrying a forged Indian government identification card with a false name, but during “sustained interrogation,” the police said, he admitted that he was a Pakistani soldier, deployed by the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence. | Mr. Akhtar was carrying a forged Indian government identification card with a false name, but during “sustained interrogation,” the police said, he admitted that he was a Pakistani soldier, deployed by the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence. |
| Bhishma Singh, an investigator on the case, said Mr. Akhtar had been recruited as an intelligence officer three years ago and was living with his family on the embassy compound. | Bhishma Singh, an investigator on the case, said Mr. Akhtar had been recruited as an intelligence officer three years ago and was living with his family on the embassy compound. |
| “Mr. Akhtar was basically using the visa window for anti-India activities, as it had a public interface,” Mr. Singh said. Among those Mr. Akhtar cultivated were young women, Mr. Singh said, adding that Mr. Akhtar later used them “as honey traps to lure officers.” | “Mr. Akhtar was basically using the visa window for anti-India activities, as it had a public interface,” Mr. Singh said. Among those Mr. Akhtar cultivated were young women, Mr. Singh said, adding that Mr. Akhtar later used them “as honey traps to lure officers.” |
| The police said that they had not ruled out the involvement of additional staff members from the mission. | The police said that they had not ruled out the involvement of additional staff members from the mission. |
| In its Foreign Ministry statement, Pakistan said a staff member had been held for three hours before he was returned to the mission. | In its Foreign Ministry statement, Pakistan said a staff member had been held for three hours before he was returned to the mission. |
| “This act clearly reflects Indian actions to shrink diplomatic space for the working of the Pakistan High Commission,” the statement said, referring to the mission, the equivalent of an embassy. It added that the detention violated the Vienna Convention, an international treaty that sets parameters for diplomatic relations. | “This act clearly reflects Indian actions to shrink diplomatic space for the working of the Pakistan High Commission,” the statement said, referring to the mission, the equivalent of an embassy. It added that the detention violated the Vienna Convention, an international treaty that sets parameters for diplomatic relations. |
| Two Indians were also detained on suspicion of spying for Pakistan, Mr. Yadav said. The authorities said the spy ring had been active for the last year and a half. | Two Indians were also detained on suspicion of spying for Pakistan, Mr. Yadav said. The authorities said the spy ring had been active for the last year and a half. |
| Tension between the countries is at its highest point since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014. India claims that Pakistan supported militants as they prepared for major attacks on Indian forces in the disputed territory of Kashmir, in particular a raid in mid-September that killed 19 Indian soldiers. | |
| India said last month that it had sent troops across the border to attack militant bases in retaliation, the first time that India had done so publicly. | India said last month that it had sent troops across the border to attack militant bases in retaliation, the first time that India had done so publicly. |
| The announcement elated many Indians, frustrated at Pakistan’s failure to stem militant activity. Since then, the countries have exchanged daily allegations of cease-fire violations. | The announcement elated many Indians, frustrated at Pakistan’s failure to stem militant activity. Since then, the countries have exchanged daily allegations of cease-fire violations. |
| In the last week, three Indian border guards and a 1-year-old boy were killed in “intense, constant” cross-border firing, said Dharmendra Pareek, deputy inspector general of India’s Border Security Force, in a telephone interview from the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir. He said India had killed seven Pakistani rangers and one militant. | In the last week, three Indian border guards and a 1-year-old boy were killed in “intense, constant” cross-border firing, said Dharmendra Pareek, deputy inspector general of India’s Border Security Force, in a telephone interview from the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir. He said India had killed seven Pakistani rangers and one militant. |
| Pakistan summoned India’s second-ranking diplomat in Islamabad on Tuesday and Wednesday to lodge protests against cross-border firing that killed four civilians, including a toddler. | Pakistan summoned India’s second-ranking diplomat in Islamabad on Tuesday and Wednesday to lodge protests against cross-border firing that killed four civilians, including a toddler. |