Authorities clear unauthorised structures outside Pakistan High Commission after poles removed near Indian mission in Islamabad

Authorities clear unauthorised structures outside Pakistan High Commission after poles removed near Indian mission in Islamabad

File photo of Pakistan High Commission Photograph: (X)

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The tit-for-tat move comes days after Pakistani authorities dismantled parking poles outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Reciprocal actions have been the norm in the strained ties of the two countries.

New Delhi: Authorities in New Delhi have removed unauthorised structures and encroachments outside the Pakistan High Commission. The structures, located near the visa section of the Pakistani mission, stood outside the compound’s designated perimeter and were cleared by the concerned agencies, it is learnt.

The tit-for-tat move comes days after Pakistani authorities dismantled parking poles outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Reciprocal actions have been the norm in the strained ties of the two countries. Historical precedents include mutual staff reductions, tighter access controls and administrative restrictions, steps India has matched whenever required, after Pakistani action.

The move comes against the backdrop of persistently strained bilateral ties due to Pakistan’s support for cross-border terror against India. Relations between the two countries remain at one of their lowest points in decades, more than a year after a four-day military confrontation that followed a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, India.

In April 2025, Pakistan-trained terrorists killed 26 people in Pahalgam, Union territory of J&K. It was followed by India's counter-terror “Operation Sindoor”, with strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The brief conflict, the most serious since the 1999 Kargil War, ended with Pakistan reaching out to India for a ceasefire.

Since then, formal diplomacy has effectively frozen. Trade is suspended, the main land border crossing is closed, and visa regimes have been sharply restricted. High commissions in both capitals operate with reduced staff. India placed the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, stating it would remain so until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends support for cross-border terrorism.

New Delhi insists normal neighbourly relations are possible only in an atmosphere free of violence and terrorism. Military channels have not been completely severed. Weekly telephone calls between the Directors General of Military Operations continue, and the ceasefire have largely held with only limited reported violations.

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Siddhant Sibbal, covers diplomacy and defence for WION since 2018. He has been charting Indian diplomacy, including India's rise on the global stage. He has covered major internati...Read More