Will respond in same coin, Pakistan warns India amid diplomatic row.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan on Tuesday warned India that it will respond in the same coin amid a diplomatic row.

In a late night statement, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Pakistan will not tolerate India's illegal and provoking decisions to hide New Delhi's failures at the international level.

Qureshi's statement came after the Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced its government had decided to reduce staff strength in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi by 50 percent.

The decision, which is to be implemented in 7 days, was conveyed to Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah.

'The Government of India has taken the decision to reduce the staff strength in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi by 50 percent. It would reciprocally reduce its own presence in Islamabad to the same proportion,' the MEA said in a statement.

India also accused the Pakistani diplomats of violating the diplomatic norms. On May 31, India had expelled two officials of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on allegations of spying - the first such move since 2016.

FM Qureshi said India was trying to hide its thrashing at the hands of China, the plight of the poor, the bloodshed in Kashmir and the massacre of the minorities by escalating tensions with the neighbours.

'Let there be no doubt that Pakistan will not stay silent. If 50 percent of the Pakistani staff has to return from India, then 50 percent from the Indian high Commision (in Pakistan) also have to go. We will respond on equality basis,' he asserted.

FM Qureshi said India was targeting Pakistani diplomats and levelling baseless allegations.

'It is rather India who sends people in guise of the diplomats. We have many examples. Our diplomats do what they are supposed to do. They never violate any rules,' he remarked.

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The FM said the whole world was criticising India for killing Kashmiris and discriminatory laws against the minorities.

'India cannot hide anymore. The whole world knows the truth,' he maintained.

Earlier, the foreign ministry rejected Indian allegations against the Pakistani diplomats and made it clear that Islamabad was committed to global diplomatic norms.

A foreign ministry statement said Pakistan 'categorically rejects and strongly condemns the baseless allegations' made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs as a pretext to...