Indian authorities on Wednesday removed the traffic bollards and barricades surrounding the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
The move came three days after authorities in Pakistan removed protective security barricades outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
The authorities used a JCB machine to clear the barricades and queue-management setups that had been placed along the lane near the visa section. The external security ring was also removed, according to a report by NDTV.
Visuals shared by news agency ANI show sections of corrugated roofing and white metal fencing completely pulled down. The area around the service windows appeared damaged, with chunks of plaster and masonry knocked loose. Broken fencing and debris were scattered near the counters.
The main entrance, however, remained untouched. The developments came amid a separate diplomatic row over Kashmir.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Wednesday that Kashmir is an “important” part of India.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “Kashmir is an important part of India. I am visiting the place for the first time. It is an incredibly beautiful place.” Gor also met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Hours after his remarks, Pakistan summoned US Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker and registered a “strong demarche” over Gor’s description of Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India”.
“Pakistan strongly condemned and categorically rejected the characterisation of Jammu and Kashmir as a ‘part of India’,” the Foreign Office said .
The statement said that Jammu and Kashmir is an “internationally recognised disputed territory” and that its final status should be determined in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.