New Delhi: The Pakistani government has imposed targeted restrictions on the Indian High Commission in Islamabad since June 2025, seen as a direct retaliation to India's military operation 'Operation Sindoor.' Among these measures, Pakistani authorities have halted the supply of newspapers to the Indian diplomatic mission. Local newspaper vendors and distributors were instructed not to deliver any newspapers or printed publications to the Indian mission, effectively cutting off Indian diplomats in Islamabad from accessing Pakistani print media and hindering their ability to stay informed about local news and events.

In addition to newspaper bans, Pakistan has also blocked the supply of essential amenities such as cooking gas and clean drinking water to Indian diplomats and their families in Islamabad. Despite the installation of gas pipelines at the High Commission premises, the supply has been deliberately withheld. Local vendors who previously supplied gas cylinders and mineral water have been ordered not to sell or deliver to Indian staff. This has created significant inconvenience and forced diplomats to seek scarce and costly alternatives in the open market.

Officials from India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) have condemned Pakistan's actions as "deliberate, premeditated, and in breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," which guarantees the dignified operation of diplomatic missions worldwide. The MEA described Pakistan's measures as part of a long-standing pattern of using non-diplomatic tactics to apply pressure on Indian diplomats rather than engaging in constructive dialogue.

These developments follow the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty and come amid heightened tensions after India's successful 'Operation Sindoor'—a major military offensive launched in May 2025 targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan that reportedly destroyed key Pakistani military assets and inflicted significant damage on terror camps.

Diplomatic analysts view Pakistan's restrictions, such as cutting off newspaper deliveries and essential supplies, as "petty retaliation" motivated by frustration over its inability to counter India on the battlefield.

With inputs from IANS