Two Indian staffers working at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad have been missing since Monday morning. The Indian High Commission has raised this issue with the Pakistani authorities, reported The Indian Express.
The two were identified as a CISF security official and a driver.
The incident comes days after two Pakistani officials at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were accused of espionage and deported. The two officials, Abid Hussain and Muhammad Tahir, were caught by Delhi Police while they were obtaining sensitive documents relating to India’s security installations from an Indian national in exchange for money, official sources said in New Delhi.
This is the first time after four years that such an incident of expelling officials of the Pakistan High Commission has taken place. In October 2016, India and Pakistan had expelled officials from each other’s missions for spying. Pakistan had summoned a senior Indian diplomat to register a strong protest over the decision.
India and Pakistan downgraded their diplomatic ties in August last year, after Jammu & Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 was revoked. Both countries have recalled their High Commissioners, and Deputy High Commissioners now act as the chief of the mission.