- Delhi also shuts Attari-Wagah border, bans Pakistani nationals, orders those in country to leave within 48 hours
- FS Vikram Misri says India would be ‘unrelenting in pursuit of those who have committed acts of terror or conspired to make them possible’
- India recalls its three military service advisors and five auxiliary staff members from its HC in Islamabad
- Additionally, urges Pakistan to reduce staff strength at its New Delhi mission from 55 to 30
ISLAMABAD: India on Wednesday announced suspension of Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and closure of Attari border checkpost in the wake of an attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists and injured 17 others.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), India’s highest decision-making body on national security, was held with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the chair on the incident.
“In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of the elections in the union territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development. Recognising the seriousness of this terrorist attack, the CCS decided upon the following measures: 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.”
He declined to take questions but outlined the key decisions taken during the CCS emergency session.
According to Misri, India will immediately suspend the Indus Waters Treaty that governs the sharing of river waters between India and Pakistan.
India has also shut down the Attari-Wagah border crossing, a key point for trade and civilian movement between the two nations, with immediate effect.
In another unprecedented step, the Indian government will ban Pakistani nationals from entering India, and those currently in the country have been ordered to leave within 48 hours.
The cabinet’s committee further decided to expel all Pakistani military advisors, including those from the air force, navy, and army, stationed at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Simultaneously, India is recalling its three military service advisors and five auxiliary staff members from its High Commission in Islamabad.
Additionally, India has requested Pakistan to reduce the staff strength at its New Delhi mission from 55 to 30, reflecting a sharp downgrading of diplomatic ties.
“The CCS reviewed the overall security situation and directed all forces to maintain high vigilance. It resolved that the perpetrators of this attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account,” Misri stated.
He said India would be “unrelenting in the pursuit of those who have committed acts of terror or conspired to make them possible”.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif termed the incident a “false flag operation”. “We cannot ever rule this out, the possibility that it was a false flag will be there,” he said.
He added that allegations levelled against Pakistan were unfounded.
“There are plenty of homegrown organisations within India,” Asif said. “We condemn terrorism in all its forms, since Pakistan has been the most affected by terrorism. We are the last country that would support terrorism after the effect it has had on us.”
When asked if Pakistan would be able to provide a military response, Asif recounted when Indian aircraft conducted a bombing in Balakot in 2019.
“Everyone remembers what happened with Abhinandan,” Asif said, referring to an Indian pilot shot down and captured by Pakistani forces.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had convened a meeting of the National Security Committee on Thursday morning to respond to the Indian actions.
The attack marks the deadliest assault on civilians in the region since 2000. Gunmen opened fire on a group of visitors on Tuesday, sparking widespread panic and a heavy military response. Pahalgam, located 90 km from Srinagar, is a scenic town that draws thousands of tourists annually.
The deceased, mostly men from across India and one from Nepal, included a navy officer. Ambulances transported the bodies to Srinagar, while military helicopters scoured the forested hills for the assailants.
Indian authorities have launched a massive search operation, deploying hundreds of security personnel and summoning suspected sympathisers for questioning.
The army claimed to have killed two suspected fighters in a separate incident in the Uri sector and stated that the search for the attackers remains ongoing.
A previously unknown outfit, reportedly calling itself ‘The Resistance Front’, has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Indian media. However, no official group has been verified as responsible.
In response to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the “heinous act,” promising that those responsible “will hear our response loud and clear.” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh echoed the threat, vowing that planners “on our land” would also be targeted.
The fallout extended to diplomatic and security levels. Modi convened a high-level security meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cut short a foreign tour, while Home Minister Amit Shah traveled to the region to oversee the response.
The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, a decades-old water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan, marks a significant escalation. Though Indian media and social media accounts were quick to blame Pakistan, no official statement directly accused Islamabad.
