JCB Removes Illegal Structures at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in Reciprocal Move

Authorities in New Delhi on Thursday used a JCB machine to remove unauthorised structures and alleged encroachments at the Pakistan High Commission, in an apparent reciprocal move days after Pakistani authorities dismantled parking poles outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, according to the exclusive report by Ashoke Raj on X.

Authorities in New Delhi have removed unauthorised structures and encroachments outside the Pakistan High Commission, in what is being seen as a reciprocal move following the dismantling of parking poles outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

A JCB machine was deployed to clear the structures, which were located near the visa section of the Pakistani mission and stood outside its designated perimeter, people familiar with the matter said.

The action was carried out by the concerned authorities and comes days after Pakistani authorities removed parking poles installed outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

The latest development comes against the backdrop of deeply strained India-Pakistan relations, with both sides continuing to take measures affecting their respective diplomatic missions. Similar tit-for-tat actions have featured during previous periods of heightened tensions, including reciprocal staff reductions, tighter access controls and administrative restrictions.

India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads since the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam in April 2025, in which 26 people were killed. India subsequently launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The ensuing four-day military confrontation marked the most serious escalation between the two countries since the 1999 Kargil conflict. The hostilities ended after Pakistan reached out for a ceasefire.

Since then, formal diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Islamabad has remained largely frozen. Bilateral trade remains suspended, the main land border crossing is closed and visa arrangements have been sharply restricted. The Indian and Pakistani high commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad are also functioning with reduced staff.

India has also placed the Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, in abeyance. New Delhi has maintained that the treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends its support for cross-border terrorism.

The Indian government has repeatedly said that normal and neighbourly relations with Pakistan can resume only in an environment free from violence and terrorism.

Despite the diplomatic freeze, some military-to-military communication channels remain operational. Weekly telephone conversations between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the two countries continue, while the ceasefire along the Line of Control has largely held, with only limited reported violations.

The removal of the structures outside the Pakistan High Commission underscores the continuing sensitivity surrounding even routine administrative and security-related measures involving the diplomatic missions of India and Pakistan.