New Delhi, August 20: Indian authorities on Thursday removed the external security perimeter outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, dismantling traffic bollards, barricades and queue-management structures around the diplomatic mission.
The action was carried out near the commission’s visa section, where several structures had been installed along a lane outside the compound’s designated boundary. Officials said the structures were beyond the mission’s approved perimeter. A JCB was used during the operation, leaving parts of the area damaged and scattered with broken fencing, metal frames, roofing sheets and construction debris.
Visuals from the site showed authorities removing the barricades and other installations that had effectively created an external security cordon around the diplomatic compound. The main entrance of the High Commission remained intact, while parts of the outer structures near the visa facilities were pulled down.
The move comes three days after Pakistani authorities reportedly removed protective security barricades outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The timing has led to the action being viewed as a reciprocal step amid continuing diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan.
However, Indian authorities have not officially stated that Thursday’s removal was ordered as a direct response to Pakistan’s action in Islamabad. Officials have instead said the structures removed from the Delhi site were located outside the approved boundary of the Pakistani diplomatic mission.
The latest development comes against the backdrop of strained relations between the two neighbouring countries. Diplomatic ties have remained tense since last year’s Pahalgam terror attack, followed by India’s military response under Operation Sindoor.
The removal of the external security arrangements is likely to attract attention because diplomatic missions normally operate with heightened security around their premises. The dismantling also changes the security landscape immediately outside the Pakistan High Commission, although security arrangements within the diplomatic compound remain in place.
Officials and security personnel were seen at the site during the operation. The visa section remained visible amid the debris, with service windows for passport and visa-related services still identifiable.
The development adds another layer to the continuing India-Pakistan diplomatic tensions, with both sides having taken reciprocal measures around their respective diplomatic missions in recent days.
