Missions headless in fund spat

Declared persona non grata for indulging in ‘‘activities incompatible with their diplomatic status,’’ they were given 48 hours to quit the country. Their families were given a week’s time to leave.

Islamabad retaliated within hours, ordering the expulsion of India’s Charge d’affaires Sudhir Vyas, First Secretary Rahul Rasgotra and staffers R Balu, Ranbir Singh and S R Anand. Their families too were given a week’s time to exit.

Earlier, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee slammed Pakistan for taking ‘‘no significant action’’ to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure and pointed to reports of the ISI routing terrorists through Nepal and Bangladesh.

‘‘For us, the most disconcerting aspect of terrorism is that it’s sponsored, supported and funded by Pakistan as a matter of state policy,’’ he told a Chief Ministers’ conference on internal security in New Delhi.

MEA spokesperson Navtej Sarna described Islamabad’s action as ‘‘another indication of Pakistan’s compulsive hostility towards India.’’ He said it was ‘‘unfortunate’’ Pakistan chose to hit back ‘‘instead of acknowledging the clearly unacceptable behaviour of their own CDA in broad breach of all diplomatic norms.’’

Sarna said India had decided not to downgrade the Pakistan mission. ‘‘We will issue a visa when Pakistan decides to appoint another CDA.’’ In fact, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani too told reporters that there was no move to close down the Pakistan mission. With today’s expulsion, the Pakistan mission strength is now down to 47.

Jilani, who leaves for Pakistan early tomorrow, told The Indian Express he had been made ‘‘a scapegoat of Indian domestic politics.’’

In Islamabad, Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the Indian action showed the BJP-led government is ‘‘bent upon heightening tensions between the two countries in a systematic matter for internal electoral motives.’’

A statement issued by the Pakistan Foreign Office said: ‘‘Reciprocating the Indian decision to further cut the strength of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi from 51 to 47 personnel, the Government of Pakistan has also decided to apply the same staff ceiling on the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.”

There was no discussion on any other issue, including India’s proposal that Pakistan could send a replacement for Jilani if it so wished. India appointed Vikram Misri as head of the mission there.