India Communicates Decision to Suspend Indus Water Treaty, Sending Back Diplomatic Staff To Pakistan After Pahalgam Attack

New Delhi: India has formerly conveyed its first set of decisions to Pakistan including suspending Indus Water Treaty, sending back diplomatic staff to Islamabad among other measures taken in wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which took place on Tuesday killing 26 innocent civilians and injuring many more.

India has formally communicated its decisions to Pakistan and shared list of Pakistan High Commission officials declared persona non grata. India has also asked High Commission strength to be trimmed from 55 to 30.

This comes after India, a while back, announced a host of first responses to punish Pakistan for barbaric terror attack in Pahalgam when terrorists targeted innocent tourists who visited Kashmir. The terror attack took place when tourists were taking a tour of meadows in one of the most scenic places in the valley.

Recognising seriousness of this terrorist attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval and other top security officials decided upon the following measures: 

1. 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.
2. The integrated checkpost Attari will be closed with immediate effect. Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before 1st May 2025.
3. 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.
4. The Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared persona non grata. They have a week to leave India.
5. India will be withdrawing its own Defence, Navy and Air advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled.