India orders demolition of illegal structures along Pakistan border

India's Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the demolition of all illegal buildings within 15 kilometers of the border with Pakistan on Wednesday. His office issued the directive while Shah was visiting Rajasthan, a western state that shares a frontier with Pakistan. The order comes amid heightened tensions following last year's military escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

What has Amit Shah ordered along the India-Pakistan border?

Shah directed authorities to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against illegal constructions within 15 kilometers of the international border. The home affairs ministry confirmed the order in an official statement, instructing "concerned authorities to demolish all such unauthorized constructions." The directive covers India's entire frontier with Pakistan, including the de facto border running through the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Why is India cracking down on border-area construction?

Shah urged officials to intensify efforts against infiltration, narcotics smuggling, encroachment, terror financing, and other cross-border crimes. New Delhi has long accused Islamabad of facilitating drugs and weapons smuggling into India, and has invested heavily in reinforcing its heavily patrolled borders. India also accuses Pakistan of helping militants cross into Indian-administered Kashmir, a charge Islamabad denies.

India and Pakistan accuse each other of backing proxy forces, with both sides rejecting the other's claims. The two countries share a frontier of approximately 3,300 kilometers, including the Line of Control through Kashmir. Shah is known for his hardline positions on national security, illegal migration, and transnational crime.

How does this order relate to recent India-Pakistan tensions?

Relations between the two countries collapsed last year after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 men, mostly Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan for backing the attack, which Islamabad denied. The incident triggered diplomatic expulsions and a sharp military escalation involving airstrikes, drone swarms, and heavy mortar fire that killed more than 70 people on both sides.