PTI
 
New Delhi, Aug 5: Hours after Pakistan expelled an Indian diplomat, India retaliated swiftly by declaring Syed Muhammad Rafique Ahmed, Counsellor (Political) in the Pakistan High Commission here, as persona non grata.

Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner Afra Siab was summoned to the External Affairs Ministry and told that Ahmed has been involved in activities incompatible with his diplomatic status, an euphemism for spying.

"The Government of India has, therefore, declared him persona non grata. Ahmed has been asked to leave India by August seven, 2006," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

New Delhi also lodged a strong protest against the "outrageous treatment" meted to Deepak Kaul, Counsellor (Visa) in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, who was expelled.

During the meeting with the Pakistani envoy, Dilip Sinha, joint secretary in the External Affairs Ministry, categorically rejected allegations that Kaul was engaged in activities incompatible with his diplomatic status.

"The officer (Kaul) was not in possession of any sensitive documents allegedly handed over to him by a so-called contact. These must have obviously been planted on him in order to falsely implicate him," the statement said.

Kaul left Islamabad early this morning to go to Amritsar by road to fetch his family. As required by the government of Pakistan, he had obtained written permission for his trip.

"At 7.30 am, about 90 km from Lahore, he was stopped by Pakistani security agencies and taken, hooded and handcuffed to some unidentified locations where he was interrogated intermittently for about five hours," the statement said.

Thereafter, he was brought to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry and the Indian High Commission was informed about his being declared as persona non grata. The Indian mission was also informed that Kaul should leave by August seven.

Kaul was then handed over to the High Commission, the statement said.

Sinha pointed out to the Deputy High Commissioner that the actions of the government of Pakistan were in "blatant violation" of the Vienna Convention as well as the Code of Conduct for Treatment of Diplomatic/Consular Personnel in India and Pakistan, 1992, the statement said.

"Such action could not but undermine the bilateral relations between the two countries," it said.

Kaul is safe and the High Commission is arranging for his return to the country by Monday.