NEWS
Visa Ban, Diplomatic Expulsions, and Treaty Suspension: India Hits Pakistan with 5 Major Moves After Pahalgam Attack
In a powerful response to the brutal Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives — including two foreign nationals — India has launched a series of sweeping measures against Pakistan. These decisions were finalized during a high-level Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence.
Here Are the 5 Major Decisions Announced:
- Indus Water Treaty Suspended
- The 1960 Indus Water Treaty, a long-standing water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan, is now suspended with immediate effect. It will remain suspended unless Pakistan credibly and irreversibly ends its support for cross-border terrorism.
- Attari Border Check Post Closed
- The Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, a critical point of entry between the two countries, has been shut down immediately. Only those who had valid approval and crossed over before this decision can return before May 1, 2025.
- 48-Hour Ultimatum to Pakistani Nationals in India
- Pakistani citizens will no longer be allowed entry into India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).
- All existing SVES visas for Pakistani nationals are now deemed cancelled.
- Any Pakistani national currently in India under the SVES visa is ordered to leave within 48 hours.
- Military Diplomats Expelled
- India has declared Pakistan’s Defence, Naval, and Air Advisers in its High Commission in New Delhi as persona non grata. They are given one week to leave.
- India also expects Pakistan to recall similar Indian advisers from New Delhi’s High Commission in Islamabad.
- These posts will be considered abolished, along with five support staff positions on each side.
- Diplomatic Staff Cut by Nearly Half
- The number of personnel at the High Commissions in both countries will be reduced from 55 to 30 by May 1, 2025 — a drastic step reflecting worsening diplomatic ties.
Top Leadership in Emergency Huddle
The CCS meeting, which lasted over two and a half hours, was chaired by PM Modi and attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. After the session, PM Modi termed the meeting "important and urgent" in the wake of the deadly terror attack.
These bold steps underline India's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and mark one of the most aggressive policy overhauls in Indo-Pak relations in recent years.
