Ctrl C, Ctrl V: Pakistan continues to mimic India, now copies diplomatic expulsion move

Pakistan’s announcement on Thursday to expel a staffer from the Indian High Commission is being seen as yet another knee-jerk attempt to mirror India’s decisive post-Pahalgam measures – a pattern that has become increasingly evident since the Pahalgam terror attack.

This latest move came just a day after India expelled a Pakistani official posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, citing credible evidence of involvement in espionage activities.

CTRL+C, CTRL+V - Pakistan Expels Indian High Commission StafferFollowing India's expulsion of a Pakistani official at the HC in Delhi for suspected espionage, Pakistan has copy-pasted in Islamabad - giving the Indian official 24 hours to leave for allegedly engaging in https://t.co/xzDh9BHGjfpic.twitter.com/XxK418Sdp1

RT_India (@RT_India_news) May 22, 2025

On May 13, India had expelled another Pakistani official for allegedly indulging in espionage. Following India's action, Pakistan had also expelled an Indian staffer posted at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

Pakistan has chosen to react in the only way it knows: retaliatory symbolism. Its decision to expel an Indian diplomat, without providing any concrete reason or evidence, reeks of diplomatic mimicry rather than substance.

This is not an isolated instance. Since the Pahalgam terror attack, Islamabad has responded to every Indian move – military, diplomatic and economic – with near-identical gestures. Let’s take a look:

• When India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan issued vague threats of legal retaliation.

• When Indian suspended movement of goods and people at the Attari border, Pakistan, within hours, announced the closure of the Wagah border.

• Days after the announcement of ceasefire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the frontline base in Punjab’s Adampur, which not only sent a powerful message, but also established that Pakistan’s claims of destroying key military assets and the said airbase were bogus. Within 48 hours, Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif turned up at Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot for a similar photo-op.

• India recently selected 7 MPs to lead respective delegations to assigned countries and present India's evidence and stance against terrorism and Pahalgam terror attack, which was followed by Operation Sindoor. Soon after, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif asked former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to present the country's "case for peace" on foreign capitals.

• Following the announcement of ceasefire on May 10, when the Indian Army conducted a crisp, coordinated press conference outlining the objectives and success of Operation Sindoor, the world took notice. Days later, Pakistan’s DG ISPR took the podium, trying to mirror the format and tone.

• India launched Tiranga Yatras across the country to reinforce national unity and assert its democratic resilience. In response, Pakistan tried to orchestrate its own "patriotic rally" led by cricketer-turned-controversial activist Shahid Afridi.

India’s actions post-Pahalgam have been strategic, calculated, and based on clear intelligence. Pakistan’s reactions, in contrast, seem more like a desperate attempt to keep up appearances while its own credibility continues to erode.

If Pakistan wants to be taken seriously, it must stop copying and start confronting the truth about its terror ecosystem.