Indian authorities on Thursday removed unauthorised structures, security barriers and queue-management installations outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, in a development that comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan.
The action was carried out around the diplomatic mission in the Chanakyapuri area, with traffic bollards, barricades and other external structures being dismantled. Queue-management arrangements near the visa section were also among the installations removed during the operation.
Officials said the structures being removed were located beyond the approved boundary of the Pakistan High Commission. The operation focused on external installations and did not involve the main diplomatic building or its principal entrance.
The development comes three days after Pakistani authorities reportedly removed protective security barricades and other structures outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The timing has consequently drawn attention amid already strained relations between the two neighbouring countries.
The latest action also comes against the backdrop of renewed sensitivities surrounding Jammu and Kashmir. Recent remarks by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor during a visit to Srinagar, in which he described Jammu and Kashmir as an important part of India, drew a sharp reaction from Pakistan.
While the removal of the structures has been linked by some observers to the recent reciprocal measures around the two countries’ diplomatic missions, Indian officials have primarily described the New Delhi operation in terms of removing unauthorised structures and barriers located outside the approved boundary.
The incident highlights the continuing sensitivity surrounding India-Pakistan diplomatic facilities. Even measures concerning traffic management and security arrangements around diplomatic missions can assume wider significance when bilateral relations remain tense.
The action in New Delhi represents another notable development involving the two countries’ diplomatic establishments. The focus remains on whether the latest reciprocal measures lead to any further changes in the treatment of Indian and Pakistani diplomatic missions in New Delhi and Islamabad.
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