Several diplomats based in Delhi are on the list of potential targets for phone hacking using the Pegasus spyware, reported the French newspaper Le Monde that was part of the media collective that investigated the matter.

Although over 24 hours have elapsed since Le Monde published the report, there has been no official word from any of the diplomats targeted or their missions.

According to the report, the phone numbers of the New Delhi-based heads of the diplomatic missions of Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, Iran, Nepal and Saudi Arabia featured on the list of potential targets since 2017.

In the case of Pakistan, it is almost a given that the government here would be monitoring the diplomats as is done by Islamabad with Indian diplomats based there.