India, August 20 : India has demolished unauthorized structures and security barricades outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, three days after similar measures were taken outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
The demolition was carried out on Thursday (August 20) following government instructions, officials told the Press Trust of India (PTI). The Pakistan High Commission is located in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi’s diplomatic enclave.
A bulldozer was used to remove structures near the visa section that had been installed to manage queues and provide security. Images from the scene showed broken bricks, concrete, metal frames, corrugated sheets and railings scattered across the road.
Parts of the exterior structure, including white metal fencing and corrugated roofing, were completely demolished. Some plaster and sections of the wall around the service windows were also damaged.
The visa counters, including those marked “Window 1,” “Pakistani Passport Only” and “Window 5 / Collection of Visa Applications,” remained visible amid the debris.
However, the main gate, principal building, white walls, dome-shaped architectural features and the large metal gate bearing Pakistan’s national emblem were left intact. Barbed-wire fencing was also visible along parts of the boundary.
The demolition follows Pakistan’s removal of security barricades and parking poles outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on August 17. The latest action is widely viewed as a reciprocal move amid heightened tensions between the two countries.
Separately, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor visited Srinagar a day before the demolition and described Jammu and Kashmir as an important part of India. Islamabad subsequently summoned the US chargé d’affaires to protest the remarks.
However, officials have indicated that the US ambassador’s comments were unrelated to the demolition carried out outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
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