India takes 5 big actions against Pakistan over Pahalgam attack

The Union Government has convened an all-party meeting on Thursday (April 24, 2025) in the aftermath of Terror Attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead and several injured.

India on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and announced a raft of measures including:

1. India suspends 1960 Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan

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, said the statement.

Consequences over Pakistan:

• Water war.
• Halting the supply of 39 billion cubic meters of water annually from rivers such as the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab originating from Jammu and Kashmir.
• Suspension aims to pressure Pakistan over terrorism support.
• Pakistan heavily reliant on Indus River system for agriculture.
• 80% of Pakistan’s Irrigation dependent on Indus Rivers.

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.

With India setting deadline, Pak nationals flock to Attari-Wagah border to return home Several Pakistani nationals visiting India started returning home through the Attari-Wagah land route in Amritsar today, a day after the Centre set a 48-hour deadline for them to leave the country.

3. India revokes visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect

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.

What is SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme?

The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme was launched in 1992. The Fourth Summit, which took place in Islamabad in December 1988, decided that certain categories of dignitaries from SAARC countries should be entitled to a Special Travel document that would exempt them from visas within the region.

Currently, the list included 24 categories of entitled persons, which include Dignitaries, Judges of higher courts, Parliamentarians, Senior Officials, Businessmen, Journalists, Sportspersons etc.

4. Persona Non Grata

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. High Commission strength to be reduced

The overall strength of the high commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be affected by 01 May 2025.

Addressing a public rally in Bihar’s Madhubani district on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphatically said that those responsible for the “terrorist attack and their conspirators will be punished beyond their imagination”. “They will be punished”, he reiterated.

Current Situation:

Sources in the Central government said Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh are reaching out to the leaders of various political parties for the same.

After the Pahalgam Terror Attack, 2 terrorists have been identified as Pakistan Nationals. This led Pakistan issue a notice for a surface to surface missile test in Karachi coast amid India’s diplomatic strategies and decisions.

PC: Hindustan News (livehindustan.com)