Pahalgam attack: India announces 5 actions against Pakistan, suspends Indus Waters Treaty

In a decisive response to the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the Indian government on Wednesday announced a series of strong measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty. The move comes a day after 26 people, most of them tourists, were gunned down by terrorists in Pahalgam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short his official visit to Saudi Arabia, returned to the country on Wednesday morning and immediately chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

A government statement following the CCS meeting noted that the attack had clear cross-border linkages and came at a time when the Union Territory was showing signs of stability, including successful elections and ongoing economic development. “It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in the Union Territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development,” the statement read.

Based on the CCS recommendations, five key actions have been approved. The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, a longstanding water-sharing agreement between the two countries, will be held in abeyance until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.” Additionally, the Integrated Check Post at Attari will be closed immediately, though individuals who have entered India with valid documents may return via the same route before May 1, 2025.

Pakistanis will also be barred from entering India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme. Any previously issued visas under the scheme are now deemed cancelled, and those currently in India on such visas have 48 hours to leave. Further, military advisors from both countries will be withdrawn from each other’s high commissions, with the Pakistani Defence, Naval, and Air Advisors declared persona non grata. Finally, the overall strength of both high commissions will be reduced from 55 to 30 personnel by May 1, 2025.

Pakistan denies role in Pahalgam attack

Mentions “revolutions” across India, including Nagaland, as signs of internal dissent

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday denied any involvement in the recent terror attack on tourists near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, instead accusing India of fostering unrest in Pakistan. Speaking to Live 92 news channel, Asif, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and close aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, rejected any Pakistani link to the attack and called the violence in Jammu and Kashmir a product of “home-grown” revolutions.

“Pakistan has no connection with this. This is all home-grown, there are revolutions in different so-called states against India, not one, not two, but dozens, from Nagaland to Kashmir, in the south, in Chhattisgarh, in Manipur. In all these places, there are revolutions against the Indian government,” he claimed.

The Pakistani foreign ministry also issued a statement expressing concern at the loss of lives but stopped short of labeling the incident an act of terrorism or condemning it outright. “We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives in an attack in Anantnag district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. We extend our condolences to the near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” the ministry’s spokesperson said.

The attack, which occurred on Tuesday in the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, saw at least 26 people, mostly tourists, gunned down by terrorists. The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has been linked to the deadly assault, which marks one of the worst in recent years. Reports indicate that five to seven gunmen wearing camouflage and traditional attire opened fire with AK-47 rifles.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to cut short a state visit to Saudi Arabia and return to India following the incident. While Indian officials have yet to formally accuse Pakistan of orchestrating the attack, Asif pre-emptively distanced Islamabad, stating: “There is absolutely no connection to us [in this incident]. We don’t support terrorism anywhere under any circumstances and innocent people should not be the target anywhere in any local conflicts.”

Asif went further, criticizing India’s domestic policy and alleging that violence across various Indian states stems from oppression. “These are home-grown, the people are asking for their rights. Hindutva forces are exploiting the people, repressing minorities and exploiting Christians and Buddhists. They are being killed, this is a revolution against that, it is because of this that such activities are happening there,” he contended.

He also alleged that India routinely sponsors unrest in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, claiming that Islamabad has provided evidence on multiple occasions. “We have evidence gathered almost daily that we have given – not once but on many occasions – that India is sponsoring unrest in Balochistan and other areas [of Pakistan]. Whether they are doing it sitting in Afghanistan or elsewhere, there is a long history of India sponsoring unrest in Pakistan,” Asif said.

Relations between India and Pakistan remain strained since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019, with diplomatic ties downgraded and continued tensions over the Kashmir issue, which India says is an internal matter in which Pakistan has no locus standi.

The terrorists, affiliated with The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, targeted tourists in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam in one of the deadliest attacks in Kashmir in recent years.

At least five to seven terrorists wearing camouflage outfits and kurta-pyjamas came from the dense pine forest and opened fire on tourists with AK-47, killing at least 27.

(With inputs from agencies)

MT