Authorities in New Delhi on Thursday dismantled unauthorised structures and queue barriers outside the Pakistan High Commission, clearing installations that extended beyond the mission’s approved boundary.
BY PC Bureau
August 20, 2026: Authorities on Thursday dismantled and removed unauthorised structures and queue-management installations outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, clearing portions of a lane that had been occupied beyond the diplomatic mission’s approved boundary.
The action, included the removal of queue barriers and other temporary installations near the High Commission’s visa section. Traffic bollards and barricades placed around the diplomatic compound were also taken down during the operation.
The dismantling left parts of the area strewn with construction debris, including broken metal railings, damaged gates, twisted frames, roofing sheets, bricks and chunks of concrete and plaster.
Visuals from the site showed that sections of the outer structures had been completely demolished. Corrugated roofing and white metal fencing that had formed part of the installation were among the structures removed.
Visa counters remain amid debris
The visa service counters inside the affected section remained standing despite the demolition around them.
Windows at the facility continued to carry labels including “Window 1”, “Pakistani Passport Only” and “Window-5 / Collection of Visa Applications”.
However, portions of the plaster and masonry surrounding the service windows appeared damaged. Broken fencing, construction material and fragments of the dismantled structures were seen lying around the counters.
The removal effectively cleared the disputed installations from the lane outside the mission while leaving the core visa-service infrastructure in place.
VIDEO | Delhi: Authorities dismantle the external security perimeter outside the Pakistan High Commission. Visuals from outside the Pakistan High Commission at Shantipath.
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) pic.twitter.com/rys6CX5b5j
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 20, 2026
Action follows reciprocal move in Islamabad
The development comes days after Pakistan removed security barricades and parking poles positioned outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
The sequence of actions has drawn attention because both diplomatic missions have historically operated with security-related infrastructure and controlled access arrangements outside their respective compounds.
The latest developments come against the backdrop of strained India-Pakistan relations, with diplomatic engagement between the two countries remaining limited and security considerations continuing to influence the functioning of their missions.
The dismantling in New Delhi, however, was focused on structures authorities considered unauthorised and located beyond the approved boundary of the Pakistani diplomatic compound.
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Diplomatic premises and surrounding public space
Diplomatic missions enjoy special protections under international law, but those protections do not generally amount to unrestricted control over public land or roads outside their recognised premises.
The installations removed on Thursday extended into a lane beyond the mission’s approved boundary, according to the report.
The removal therefore involved the clearance of structures from the surrounding public space rather than the dismantling of the main diplomatic building.
The action also comes at a sensitive moment in India-Pakistan relations, making the removal of external structures outside either mission potentially significant from a diplomatic and security perspective.
For now, the immediate impact is visible outside the Pakistan High Commission, where the removal of fencing, roofing and queue-management infrastructure has left the area undergoing clearance and restoration after the demolition.
