Three out of eight Indian High Commission officials suspected of involvement in terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan left for India on Tuesday.
Anurag Singh, Vijay Kumar Verma and Madhavan Nanda Kumar, allegedly members of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), left for India earlier today on flight EK613 via Dubai.
Rajesh Kumar, Amerdeep Singh Bhatti, Dharmendra Sodhi, who are also alleged members of RAW, are still in Pakistan, along with Balbir Singh and Jayabalan Senthil, who are said to be Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB) operatives.
The FO during a press briefing last week revealed details of the eight Indian 'diplomats' in Pakistan, saying that a number of "Indian diplomats and staff belonging to Indian intelligence agencies RAW and IB have been found involved in coordinating terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan under the garb of diplomatic assignments."
The FO said the alleged RAW and IB officials are suspected of handling Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) factions, fueling secatarianism in Pakistan and creating unrest in Balochistan, Sindh, and Gilgit-Balistan (GB).
"They [India] are desperate to hide their crimes against humanity from the international community’s scrutiny," the FO had said.
Details of the alleged activities of the suspected RAW and IB operatives provided by the FO earlier are as follows:
- Espionage, subversion, supporting of terrorist activities and fueling instability in Balochistan and Sindh, especially Karachi
- Sabotage of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
- Creating unrest in GB
- Expanding network of operatives and agents under guise of commercial activities
- Leveraging positions as diplomats for ingress into influential circles for gathering inside information
- Damaging Pak-Afghan relations through a variety of activities
- Infiltrating Indian agents into social, media and political circles for propaganda purposes and activities detrimental to Pakistan’s interests
- Fabrication of evidence to portray Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism
- Handling factions of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan
- Instigation of religious minorities
- Fueling sectarianism
- Maligning Pakistan with propaganda on human rights issues
- Activities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir detrimental to the Kashmir cause
- Misleading the international community about the indigenous movement for self determination in held Kashmir
'Most significant exposé of undercover agents'
The posting of undercover officers is a routine practice in inter-state relations.
The leak that took the confrontation between the two countries to a new peak came after Pakistan was forced to pull out six of its officers and staff posted at the high commission in New Delhi because of Indian allegations that four diplomats were working for Pakistani intelligence services. The withdrawn officers and staffers reached Lahore on Wednesday.
The leak about Indian undercover agents is one of the most significant exposé relating to undercover agents since the US Central Intelligence Agency was forced to pull out its station chief Jonathan Banks in December 2010 after his identity was revealed in a law suit by victims of drone attacks.
In 2010, an Indian undercover set-up was also partially revealed after India arrested one of its own high commission officers for working for the ISI.
Never before has the cover of such a large number of agents been blown in one instance.
Comments (38) Closed
None of them should have been released.
@DAWN READER if it was happened, none of Pakistani staffer would reached Pakistan on wednesday
Good riddance.
Why are the allowed to leave,why not investigate and arrest them on legal charges.Strange behaviour.
@ali302 Because PAkistan govt knows there is nothing against them to investigate; it is just tit for tat.
They were released under immunity mentioned in Geneva pact, in Geneva pacts it was also mentioned that no diplomat should be involved in anti terror or any anti country activities where they are working. so if that rule was broken which have they been given immunity. Gov made a mistake.if something like that was other way around will see how india release any one under ummunity.
@atta ayaz In fact this thought should be first in the interest of own citizens.
Even extremist groups never think about own people when they use human shields or cause damage to public property and life .
Sad but how revenge can make a man blind to own interest !
All Indian officials working in Pakistan should be monitored 24/7, their movements restricted and accompanied by pakistani official everywhere , everytime.
@Zak , Super idea.
This is a good move.
This is definitely a good move.
Good move.
@Messanger stop the nonsense. They have diplomatic immunity and Pakistani staff is also in india
@DAWN READER A country cannot arrest a diplomat. They can only be told to leave the country. The other five are being stubborn. Once their cover is blown they are suppose to leave on their own. they now should be declared persona non grata and thrown out of the country.
If india had caught 8, she would have made it 8000. Why Pakistan media can't make it loudly enough to make the world listen.
@Zak Outstanding idea !
Why not close country missions in both countries - it is safer that such missions does not operate. Let's fence our borders too... Let's pretend we each other do not exist.
GOOD DECISION MADE BY PAKISTAN.
@Messanger Under vienna treaty the consulate staff of foreign missions cannot be arrested.
This is the only reason why these were allowed to leave, otherwise we have your Kalbhushan Yadav still rotting in our prison!
Beware, either they or their cronies will be back soon.
They should have been detained. How can you let them leave these people?
@Imran
Arey baba be sane and understand -there is no case period and its fake arraengements of both govs
@atif khan may be.............yes
There are "undercover agents" in every embassy in the world.
@DAWN READER ... ... They have diplomatic immunity. So do your people in India.
Are Sharifs taking a nap?
They should have been prosecuted. What kind of system is pakistan running?
I wish our Intel was as good as they make it sound.
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Real fun reading the thought provoking comments.
There are some voices without words and many imponderables words !!
...and whey aren't they arrested????
@KH. I support. Close down all diplomatic ties. We loathe each other and that's a fact!
@atta ayaz That is where country's interest becomes above everything. Just think what India would have done under the same situation.
Welcome back. Glad you are safe.
They are allowed to leave before completion of all investigation shocks me.
@DAWN READER We have to respect the Vienna Convention my friend :)
@dawn enlighten yourself on diplomatic affairs
@dawn They have diplomatic immunity and couldn't have been held. They had to be released.
Then why did Pakistan release them with cameras hanging in their neck..both countries should grow up