Tensions escalate between India and Pakistan as diplomats in Islamabad experience water and gas supply cuts in response to mutual diplomatic hostilities
In the aftermath of the May 2025 conflict triggered by Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory cross-border military operation by India against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the relationship between India and Pakistan remains tense and fragile.
The conflict, which followed a terrorist attack on Hindu tourists in Pahalgam, led to a brief but intense exchange of missiles, causing civilian casualties and displacement along the Line of Control. The hostilities ended with a ceasefire brokered by the United States, signaling a minimal diplomatic breakthrough but leaving underlying tensions unresolved.
Regarding diplomatic issues specifically related to India, there have been allegations of harassment of Indian diplomats in Islamabad since Operation Sindoor. Reports suggest that Indian diplomats are compelled to buy high-cost gas cylinders from the open market, face alleged surveillance and unauthorized access to their homes and offices, and experience a ban on newspaper delivery.
These actions are interpreted by Indian authorities as a violation of international diplomatic norms, an attempt to keep Indian diplomats isolated, and as an attempt at intimidating diplomatic personnel. The living and working conditions of Indian diplomats in Islamabad have been rendered unpleasant due to these actions.
Local shopkeepers in Islamabad are also reportedly refusing supplies to the Indian High Commission, allegedly on orders from Pakistani officials. In response, India has suspended the supply of newspapers to Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi. Newspaper delivery to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and Indian diplomats' homes has been suspended by Pakistan.
Pakistan has reportedly disconnected basic utility supplies to Indian diplomats in Islamabad, and the supply of gas to Indian diplomats has been deliberately cut off. The current hardships faced by Indian diplomats in Islamabad are reminiscent of the harassment they experienced in 2019.
However, it's important to note that there is no direct public evidence from the available sources explicitly confirming systematic harassment of Indian diplomats by Pakistani authorities post-Operation Sindoor. The overall bilateral relationship remains strained with serious challenges, including mutual distrust, continued hostility over issues such as Kashmir and water disputes, and reciprocal bans affecting media and social platforms.
The environment for diplomats from both sides is generally difficult, as reflected by restricted diplomatic engagement and heightened nationalist rhetoric. Despite this, the United States and some international actors continue to push for dialogue and de-escalation, which Pakistan has partly embraced as it seeks strategic recalibration.
In conclusion, while relations are not normalized and remain adversarial, no specific, reliable details of harassment allegations against Indian diplomats in Islamabad after Operation Sindoor are documented in the current information. The diplomatic ties suffer from deep-rooted mistrust and periodic flare-ups, but official diplomatic exchanges continue under cautious and tense conditions.
The ongoing tension between India and Pakistan post-Operation Sindoor has extended to the diplomatic sphere, with allegations of harassment and unfavorable treatment towards Indian diplomats in Islamabad. This includes reports of supply refusals, disconnected utilities, and surveillance, which India views as a violation of international diplomatic norms. Meanwhile, global politics, general news, and crime-and-justice sectors remain engrossed in the aftermath of the war-and-conflicts-related events centered around the May 2025 conflict.
