Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security in New Delhi on April 23, 2025. Photo: PMO via PTI

Pahalgam terror attack: Indus treaty with Pakistan put on hold

India flags ‘Pakistan links’ to Pahalgam attack, unveils 5-pronged response; Attari check post shut, Pakistan nationals told to return by May 1; special visas deemed cancelled; diplomatic staff to be withdrawn

by · The Hindu

India will hold the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan “in abeyance with immediate effect”, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced on Wednesday (April 23, 2025). It is part of the five-pronged response that was decided upon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in the aftermath of the terror strike in Pahalgam that left 26 dead.

Following the meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached out to all political parties for an all-party meeting on Thursday (April 24, 2025).

The CCS took note of the “cross-border linkages” of the terror attack in Pahalgam, Mr. Misri said, adding, “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.” Official sources here indicated that the decision of the CCS will enable India to be free of the text-based obligations under the treaty.

Pahalgam terrorist attack: Follow LIVE updates on April 23, 2025

A decision was also taken to close the Integrated Check Post in Attari with “immediate effect”. “Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1,” Mr. Misri said, indicating that Pakistan nationals holding Indian visas will have to return by that date.

He further announced that Pakistan nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). “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,” he said.

The CCS also declared defence, Navy, and Air advisers in the Pakistani High Commission here as persona non grata(PNG). “They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own defence, Navy, Air advisers from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisers will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions,” he said, adding that the strength of both missions – Indian mission in Islamabad and the Pakistani mission in New Delhi “will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by May 1, 2025.”

Pahalgam terror attack

Mr. Misri declared that the CCS “reviewed the overall security situation” after the terror strike in Pahalgam 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. As with the recent extradition of Tahawwur Rana, India will be unrelenting in the pursuit of those who have committed acts of terror or conspired to make them possible,” Mr. Misri said.

Earlier in the day, the Home Minister, who rushed to Srinagar on Tuesday, met the families of the victims at the police headquarters. Mr. Shah posted on X, “With a heavy heart, paid last respects to the deceased of the Pahalgam terror attack. Bharat will not bend to terror. The culprits of this dastardly terror attack will not be spared.”

He later visited Baisaran, the scene of the terror attack in Pahalgam and took a detailed briefing about the incident from officers, the Ministry said. This was followed by visit to the hospital in Anantnag where the injured victims are admitted.

Government sources shared with The Hindu that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are reaching out to leaders of various political parties for the all-party meeting. The outreach came soon after the Cabinet Committee on Security met in the Prime Minister’s residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg as the government tried getting all parties on board, with political parties across the board expressing condemnation of the attack and emphasising a unified front with the government over the issue.

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Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had spoken to Mr. Shah, expressing concern, while parties like the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had asked that the government call for an all-party meet.

Five-pronged response

  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 Check Post Attari will be closed with immediate effect. Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before 01 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. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions.
  5. 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.

Published - April 23, 2025 09:32 pm IST