India and Pakistan have carried out similar demolitions of temporary structures outside their respective High Commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad, in a tit-for-tat move amid already strained bilateral ties, sources said on Thursday.
According to sources in Delhi, Pakistani authorities on Monday removed and demolished some barricades and other structures outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The installations were primarily used to regulate queues of visitors and visa applicants and manage parking outside the mission.
The Indian side had reportedly asked Pakistan not to remove the structures, citing their importance in managing crowds and visitors to the High Commission. However, Pakistani authorities went ahead with the demolition and removal.
A day later, on Wednesday, Indian authorities carried out a similar exercise outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi’s Chanakyapuri area.
Agencies concerned used a JCB machine to remove structures and barricades erected along the lane outside the Pakistani mission. The installations included arrangements near the visa section used for managing queues.
Visuals from the site showed rubble scattered outside the High Commission, with broken metal railings, gates, twisted metal frames, roofing sheets, bricks and pieces of concrete and plaster lying across the paved area.
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The visa section remained visible amid the debris, with service counters marked for Pakistani passport holders and visa application collection. Sections of fencing and other construction material were also seen lying near the counters.
The developments come against the backdrop of severely strained India-Pakistan relations following the military confrontation between the two countries during Operation Sindoor in May last year. The operation came after the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year.
Diplomatic engagement between the two neighbours has remained limited. The High Commissions of India and Pakistan have been functioning at the level of chargé d’affaires for the past seven years, while the diplomatic strength of both missions has been substantially reduced.
Visa services between the two countries have also been significantly curtailed, with only limited categories of travellers, including some pilgrims, continuing to receive visa facilities.
The latest demolitions of structures outside the two diplomatic missions come as another sign of the continuing deterioration in relations. While the installations removed in both capitals were primarily linked to crowd and queue management, the sequential action has drawn attention because of its reciprocal nature.
The two countries have maintained limited diplomatic channels despite the broader freeze in ties, with major areas of engagement remaining restricted amid continuing tensions over security and terrorism.
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