India strikes back after Pahalgam attack: Indus Water Treaty suspended, visas for Pak nationals cancelled

In a decisive response to the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, India has announced a series of measures targeting Pakistan. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, convened this evening to assess the situation and chart the path forward. Acknowledging the gravity of the strike, the CCS outlined a set of strong and punitive actions aimed at holding Pakistan accountable and addressing the threat posed by cross-border terrorism.

“The CCS reviewed the overall security situation. And directed all forces to maintain high budget. It resolved that the perpetrators of this attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, alongside Joint Secretary M. Anand Prakash of MEA’s PAI Division, while addressing the media in a late-evening briefing on April 22.

Out of the five key measures announced by CCS, the first involves holding in abeyance the Indus Water Treaty until Pakistan ceases its support for cross-border terrorism. In addition, the Integrated Check Post at the Attari border has been closed immediately.

“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,” Misri said.

The Indus Water Treaty, signed by then India PM Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan, is a World Bank-brokered agreement that allocates control of the eastern rivers (Beas, Ravi, Sutlej) to India and the western rivers (Indus, Chenab, Jhelum) to Pakistan.

The ministry added that Pakistani nationals who entered India with valid endorsements will have to return via the same route before 1 May 2025. Travel to India under the SAARC Visa exemption scheme will now be prohibited for all Pakistani citizens. All previously issued SPES visas to Pakistani nationals stand cancelled. Those currently in India under the SPES visa will also have to leave the country within 48 hours.

Additionally, Misri shared that the defence, military, naval and air advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi will now be “declared persona non grata (unwelcome person).”

“They have a week to leave. India will (also) 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,” Misri added.

The strength of the High Commissions will be reduced from the current 55 to 30, with the downsizing to be completed by 1 May 2025.

Pakistani terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in the Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam on the afternoon of April 22, 2025, killing at least 26 people, the CCS today confirmed. The victims included 25 Indian nationals and one citizen of Nepal. All the victims were men. Several others were injured in the attack. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility. TRF was formed in August 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370, with the intention of evading international scrutiny.

“As with the recent extradition of the Tahavuur Rana, India will be unrelenting in the pursuit of those who have committed acts of terror or conspired to hold them to make them possible,” Misri added.