NEW DELHI: In a swift response to the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India on Wednesday suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan and closed the Attari border with immediate effect. The measures were taken following a marathon meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who flew back to New Delhi after cutting short his official visit to Riyadh, reports appearing in the media said.
Addressing the media, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 would be kept in abeyance until Pakistan, “credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.” He described the Pahalgam attack, which left at least 26 people dead, as a grave act of terrorism and said the government had recognised the seriousness of the incident while arriving at the decisions.
Among the measures announced, the integrated checkpost at Attari has been closed with immediate effect. Pakistani nationals who have already crossed into India with valid documentation will be allowed to return via that route before May 1, 2025. The Government of India has also withdrawn from the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals. Any such visas issued in the past are deemed cancelled, and Pakistani nationals currently in India under that scheme have been asked to leave the country within 48 hours.
Besides, the Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors posted at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi have been declared persona non grata and given a week to leave India. India, in turn, will withdraw its own Defence, Navy, and Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These positions, the government clarified, are now annulled.
In the political sphere, the government is expected to convene an all-party meeting on April 24 to brief and consult with other parties. According to sources, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the meeting.
