Scenes outside Pakistan High Commission after Pahalgam attack: Protests, fewer barricades and worried citizens

On Thursday morning, however, only a single layer of barricades could be seen — put up around 500 m from the High Commission — with police personnel standing guard. When two sets of protesters, belonging to the BJP and Anti-Terror Action Forum, arrived at the spot, they were stopped and asked to continue their agitation at Jantar Mantar.

However, in the afternoon, two protesters managed to breach security and go near the High Commission, waving the Indian flag and raising slogans against Pakistan. “India should take the strictest action against Pakistan,” shouted one of them as police escorted them from the area.

India on Wednesday had put on hold the Indus Waters Treaty; downgraded diplomatic relations with Pakistan by reducing mission strength by half, expelled diplomats and top defence officials from the Pakistan High Commission; cancelled all visas granted to Pakistan nationals under a SAARC scheme and directed them to leave in 48 hours; and shut the Attari-Wagah border, asking those who crossed over to return through that route before May 1. It also withdrew its own advisors and staff from its mission in Islamabad.

This full-scale diplomatic retaliation by Delhi is the strongest since 2019, when the diplomatic strength was reduced by half from 110 to 55. Now it has been further reduced to 30.

Many people reached the High Commission in the morning to inquire about what they should do next. Among them was a woman, a resident of Pakistan, who had just found out that her 45-day visa to India has been cancelled.

Standing outside the High Commission with her son, she told mediapersons she was an Indian married to a Pakistani. She had come to India with her son on a 45-day visa, which had now been cancelled, and she needed help in returning to Pakistan.

Indian national Mohammad Rashid (60) had come to Delhi from Ludhiana to submit documents for his visa to Pakistan. “I gave them my passport yesterday. They had asked me to come at 4 pm today to submit a few more documents… I just want to go (to Pakistan) to attend my cousin’s wedding,” he said.