Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on June 4 ordered the demolition of unauthorized structures along the border with Pakistan, as tensions between the two countries remain simmering after a brief conflict last year.
According to a statement from India's Ministry of Home Affairs, Shah stressed "the need for strict enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy against illegal constructions, particularly within 0 to 15 km from the international border." All buildings considered "illegal" in this area will be razed.
Speaking in the border state of Rajasthan, adjacent to Pakistan, Shah also urged officials to intensify efforts "to effectively address infiltration, drug trafficking, encroachment, terror financing, and other cross-border crimes."
The move comes as relations between the two South Asian neighbors sank to their lowest in decades last year, after India accused Pakistan of orchestrating a deadly attack in Kashmir. The incident sparked a four-day war that killed more than 70 people, considered the worst conflict between the two sides in decades.
The brief war erupted after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan for backing the attack – a charge Islamabad denied – leading to a series of retaliatory diplomatic measures, airstrikes, drone strikes, and heavy shelling.
New Delhi routinely accuses Islamabad of facilitating drug and arms smuggling into India and has invested heavily in fortifying its heavily guarded borders. The border between India and Pakistan, including the de facto line through the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, stretches 3,300 km.
Shah is known for his hardline stance on national security, illegal immigration, and transnational crime.
