Authorities removed traffic bollards and barricades outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on Thursday. The structures, including queue liners near the visa section of the Pakistani mission, were reportedly located outside the compound's designated perimeter in a lane and were removed by the authorities.
The tit-for-tat move comes three days after Pakistani authorities dismantled security barricades outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, news agency ANI reported.
Visuals from the site showed broken railings, gates, metal frames, roofing sheets, bricks and concrete scattered outside the compound. Parts of the outer fencing and roofing were also pulled down. The visa section remained visible amid the debris, with signs reading “Window 1”, “Pakistani Passport Only” and “Window-5 / Collection of Visa Applications”.
There is, though, no official confirmation linking the removal of the structures to Pakistan's diplomatic protest over the US envoy's remarks on Kashmir. Officials have not publicly said why the structures were removed.
US envoy's Kashmir remarks threaten Pakistan protest
The latest development comes amid a diplomatic row between Pakistan and the US over Jammu and Kashmir. US ambassador to India Sergio Gor, during his visit to Srinagar on Wednesday, described Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India”.
{{/usCountry}}The latest development comes amid a diplomatic row between Pakistan and the US over Jammu and Kashmir. US ambassador to India Sergio Gor, during his visit to Srinagar on Wednesday, described Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India”.
{{/usCountry}}Gor, who is also the US special envoy for South and Central Asia, made the remarks after meeting Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah.
“This is an important part of India and so I am here visiting for the first time. It is an incredibly beautiful place and I’m thrilled to be here, thrilled to see this place,” Gor told local media.
Pakistan summons US diplomat
Pakistan reacted strongly to Gor's remarks and summoned the US charge d'affaires in Islamabad, Natalie Baker.
Pakistan's foreign ministry said it had delivered a “strong demarche” over Gor's visit and his comments on the status of Jammu and Kashmir. Gor's remarks were “factually incorrect”, the ministry said, and “strongly condemned and categorically rejected the characterisation of Jammu and Kashmir as a ‘part of India’”.
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It also claimed that the comments were inconsistent with the “United States' long-standing position on the Kashmir issue.”
The US has maintained that India and Pakistan should resolve their differences bilaterally. New Delhi has also consistently opposed third-party mediation on Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah discusses Kashmir with Gor
Gor's visit to Kashmir was his first to the region in six years. His remarks also came after several Kashmiri politicians called for a review of the US travel advisory.
Opposition leader Mehbooba Mufti asked Gor to withdraw the highest-level travel advisory for Kashmir. She said it affected thousands of families dependent on tourism.
Following his meeting with Gor, Abdullah said discussions focused on India-US relations and the role Washington could play in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We had an opportunity to discuss the relations between our two countries, but with specific focus on what the US can do with Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah said.
“There are obviously certain legacy issues that, over time, we will be working to resolve but we look forward to taking this conversation further,” he added.