Stung By Op Sindoor, Pakistan Blocks Water, Gas & Newspapers To Indian Diplomats | Exclusive

Last Updated:August 11, 2025, 11:39 IST

Top government sources said the measures are part of a pattern of ‘petty retaliation’ orchestrated by Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI and in breach of the Vienna Convention

Government sources said the actions not only violate the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, but also erode the already fragile framework of India–Pakistan relations. (AP)

Tensions between India and Pakistan have taken a fresh turn, with Islamabad resorting to targeted curbs on basic amenities for Indian High Commission staff in a move described by top government sources as “deliberate, premeditated, and in breach of the Vienna Convention".

The action comes in the aftermath of the Indian Army’s successful Operation Sindoor and New Delhi’s decisive enforcement of the Indus Water Treaty. Top government sources told CNN-News18 that the measures are part of a pattern of “petty retaliation" orchestrated by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), aimed at disrupting the living and working conditions of Indian diplomats in Islamabad.

According to sources, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) has already installed gas pipelines at the Indian High Commission premises. However, supply has been deliberately withheld. Local gas cylinder vendors, who had previously provided essential cooking and heating fuel to the mission, have reportedly been instructed by Pakistani authorities not to sell to Indian staff. This has forced diplomats and their families to seek scarce and costly alternatives in the open market, often without success.

The harassment extends beyond fuel. The mission’s contracted supplier for clean drinking water has been blocked from making deliveries, with all vendors in Islamabad instructed not to provide mineral water to the High Commission. This, sources say, has created significant inconvenience for the staff, as local tap water is neither safe nor suitable for consumption without extensive filtration.

In a further attempt to restrict information flow, newspaper vendors have been told to stop supplying publications to the mission altogether. The measure is being interpreted by Indian officials as a calculated effort to isolate diplomats from regular access to print media and limit their awareness of local narratives and developments.

The government sources said the actions not only violate the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations—which guarantees the smooth functioning of embassies and the safety and dignity of their personnel—but also erode the already fragile framework of India–Pakistan relations. The move is seen as an extension of Islamabad’s long-standing strategy of using non-traditional and non-diplomatic pressure tactics instead of engaging in direct dialogue.

India and Pakistan have had no high-level bilateral talks since the 2019 Pulwama attack and the subsequent Balakot airstrikes. Recent months saw fresh strains after Operation Sindoor, which dealt a significant blow to Pakistan-based terrorists targeting Indian security interests, and after India acted firmly to enforce the Indus Water Treaty provisions in its favour.

Islamabad, Pakistan

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