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India cancels SAARC Visa Exemption for Pakistanis after Pahalgam attack. Military-diplomatic ties cut, advisors declared persona non grata. Indus Waters Treaty on hold.
India’s suspension could disrupt water-sharing mechanisms, including data exchange and approvals for projects. Representational image/Shutterstock
Following Tuesday’s Pahalgam terror attack, India on Wednesday cancelled SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals. Any Pakistani citizen currently in India under this scheme has been asked to leave the country within 48 hours.
Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and any such visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.
The decision was taken during a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Wednesday chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other highly placed officials.
India has also cut off military-diplomatic ties. Defence, Navy, and Air Advisors posted at the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi have been declared persona non grata and ordered to leave within a week. India too will pull back its military advisors from Islamabad.
Misri said, “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, he said. India has also handed them a formal note.
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. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions,” he said.
The overall strength of both missions will be slashed, from 55 to 30, by May 1, 2025.
“The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by May 1,” he said.
The CCS also decided to close the Integrated Check Post at Attari with immediate effect, Misri said at a late evening press briefing.
On closing of the Integrated Check Post at Attari, Misri said those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1.
It is learnt that the CCS lasted for around two-and-a-half hours.
The CCS decided that 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 said.
The CCS was briefed in detail on the terrorist attack on Tuesday in Pahalgam that left 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen dead.
“A number of others sustained injuries. The CCS condemned the attack in the strongest terms and expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the early recovery of the injured,” Misri said.
“Strong expressions of support and solidarity have been received from many Governments around the world, which have unequivocally condemned this terror attack,” he said.