Following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, the central government has decided to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. Reacting to the move, BJP leader Kavinder Gupta stated that violence and cooperation over water cannot go hand in hand.
“We are receiving overwhelming support from our international partners, and Pakistan stands fully exposed. Bloodshed and water sharing cannot coexist, which is why the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 has been annulled. Pakistan will face consequences. There is no longer a need for warnings—we must act decisively, and this is the first step,” Gupta told ANI on Wednesday from Jammu.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri outlined key actions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in response to the severity of the terrorist attack. The measures included five major decisions.
He announced that India has designated the Defence, Naval, and Air Advisors posted in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi as Persona Non Grata. They have been given one week to leave the country. In parallel, India will withdraw its own military advisers from the High Commission in Islamabad. These positions will now be considered terminated, along with five associated staff members from both missions.
Misri also confirmed the immediate shutdown of the Integrated Check Post at Attari.
Among the CCS’s decisions was the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty “with immediate effect, pending credible and irreversible action by Pakistan to end its support for cross-border terrorism.”
Additionally, Pakistani citizens will no longer be allowed entry into India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). Any SVES visas previously granted to Pakistani nationals are now void, and those currently in India under such visas must depart within 48 hours.
Misri further announced that both nations would reduce the strength of their respective High Commissions to 30 personnel each, down from the current 55, by May 1, 2025.
The terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday claimed 26 lives and was one of the most severe assaults in the region since the 2019 Pulwama attack, where 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The recent attack, carried out at Baisaran meadow, is considered one of the deadliest incidents since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
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