Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Islamabad has imposed targeted restrictions on essential supplies for Indian High Commission staff, a move described by senior government sources as “deliberate, premeditated, and in violation of the Vienna Convention,” according to a report by CNN-News18.
These measures follow the Indian Army’s successful Operation Sindoor and New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
‘Petty Retaliation’
Officials characterise the restrictions as “petty retaliation” orchestrated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), intended to make life and work increasingly difficult for Indian diplomats stationed in Islamabad.
Sources informed CNN-News18 that although Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) has installed gas pipelines at the High Commission premises, gas supply has been intentionally withheld.
Additionally, local gas cylinder vendors who formerly supplied cooking and heating fuel to the Indian staff have been ordered by Pakistani authorities to cease sales, forcing diplomats and their families to scramble for scarce and costly alternatives on the open market, often unsuccessfully.
Water Supply Blocked
The disruption extends to the supply of drinking water as well. The mission’s contracted supplier for clean mineral water has been barred from making deliveries, while all water vendors in Islamabad have received orders not to supply the High Commission.
Given that local tap water is considered unsafe without extensive filtration, this directive has caused significant inconvenience for staff and their families.
Furthermore, newspaper vendors have been instructed to halt all deliveries of publications to the mission.
Indian officials view this as a deliberate effort to isolate diplomats from print media, thereby restricting their access to local narratives and current developments.
Violation Of Vienna Convention
According to CNN-News18, government sources emphasised that these actions contravene the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which ensures the smooth operation of embassies and safeguards the dignity and security of diplomatic personnel.
The sources also cautioned that such measures further exacerbate the already fragile India–Pakistan relationship.
Bilateral relations have remained frozen since the 2019 Pulwama attack and the subsequent Balakot airstrikes.
In recent months, tensions have escalated following Operation Sindoor — which Indian officials claim dealt a significant blow to Pakistan-based terrorist groups — and New Delhi’s assertive stance on the Indus Waters Treaty, leveraging its provisions to India’s advantage.
(With inputs from IBNS)
