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Informist, Wednesday, Apr. 23, 2025

--Govt: Current visas issued for Pakistani nationals cancelled

--Govt: Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to visit India

--Govt: Integrated check posts at Attari-Wagah border will be closed

--Govt: India suspends Indus water treaty with Pakistan

NEW DELHI – Underlining the cross-border linkages of the drastic terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, the Centre on Wednesday suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan and banned the entry of Pakistani nationals into India with immediate effect, signalling a significant escalation in bilateral tensions. The government also closed the integrated check post Attari with immediate effect and shrank the strength of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.

At least 26 people lost their lives on Tuesday in the deadliest terror attack on civilians in Kashmir. The government took a number of decisions against Pakistan during a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting on Wednesday, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism. Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas. Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a press briefing following the meeting.

The committee noted that the attack came in the wake of successful holding of elections in the Union Territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development, the foreign secretary said.
 

While declaring the Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission as Persona Non Grata, Misri said that these posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. The government has given a week's time to the advisors in the Pakistani High Commission to leave India.

"India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions. The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by 01 May 2025," Misri said.

The committee reviewed the overall security situation and directed all forces to maintain high vigil. It resolved that the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account.

The meeting was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and other officials. The meeting lasted for nearly two-and-a-half hours at the prime minister's official residence in New Delhi.

At least 26 people were killed and 16 sustained injuries after terrorists shot at tourists in Baisaran meadow near Pagalgam in South Kashmir on Tuesday. The survivors told media that militants targeted individuals based on religion. The attackers came from the forest and vanished in the forests after the carnage. They shot tourists in the head and chest. The attack was claimed by the Resistance Front, a designated proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organisation.

According to reports, the initial probe has hinted at the involvement of six to seven terrorists, including two local militants and four to five from Pakistan, in the Pahalgam attack. The probe agencies also released sketches of the three accused and announced a reward of INR 2 million each for any information about them.

Earlier in the day, Home Minister Amit Shah visited Baisaran, the place where the horrific incident occurred, and held a security review meeting with the officials of the intelligence bureau, army and police in Srinagar. Shah went to Kashmir on Tuesday following the attack. He also met survivors in Kashmir.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called an all-party meeting on Thursday to deliberate on the situation in the wake of Pahalgam attack. The valley witnessed shutdown and protests by the locals and political parties against the ghastly terror attack on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the security forces eliminated two terrorists in the Baramulla area of Kashmir and foiled the infiltration, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, Indian Army said. End

Reported by Kuldeep Singh

Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj

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