On April 23, 2025, India declared Pakistan’s defence, military, naval, and air advisors posted in the High Commission in New Delhi as persona non grata — a diplomatic move that essentially expels them from the country.
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00:00The Defence, Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi
00:05are declared persona non grata. They have a week to leave India.
00:10That was diplomatic speak for India essentially expelling Pakistan's military advisors stationed
00:15at its High Commission in New Delhi. The technical term, persona non grata.
00:22It's Latin for person, not welcome. And in the world of diplomacy,
00:27it's one of the sharpest tools short of a war.
00:30Declaring someone persona non grata means a country is formally telling another nation
00:33that one or more of its diplomats are no longer welcome on its soil.
00:37Under Article 9 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,
00:41a country doesn't even need to give a reason. Just a declaration is enough.
00:46But in practice, some of the reasons for PNG-ing diplomatic staff include
00:501. Acts of spying. 2. Violation of local laws or customs.
00:543. Rising diplomatic or military tensions between two countries.
00:58Once declared persona non grata, the individual has to leave within the specified time frame
01:03or risk losing diplomatic immunity, which could mean arrest or prosecution.
01:08That's rare though.
01:09And in most cases, country A declaring diplomats of country B persona non grata
01:13invariably leads to the latter reciprocating in kind.
01:16Case in point.
01:17On May 13, India expelled a Pakistani High Commission official for quote
01:22indulging in activities not in keeping with its official status in India.
01:26That's usually a euphemism for spying.
01:29Following this, Pakistan similarly declared an Indian staffer at our High Commission in Islamabad,
01:34persona non grata.
01:35Continuing the traditional diplomatic tit for tat.