Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addresses a press conference, in New Delhi
In a strategy aimed at isolating Pakistan “diplomatically and economically” for the Pahalgam terror attack, India on Tuesday decided to hold the crucial Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, shut down the Attari border, declare Defence Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in India persona non grata while simultaneously withdrawing Indian Defence Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
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. Besides, India has cancelled all visas issued to Pakistani nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). Any Pakistani national currently in India under SVES visa have “48 hours to leave India”.
The decisions were taken in a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia soon after the terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir which left 26 dead and 17 others injured.
Briefing the media after the CCS meeting late in the night, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “The CCS reviewed the overall security situation and directed all forces to maintain high vigil. It resolved that the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account. As with the recent extradition of Tahawwur Rana, India will be unrelenting in the pursuit of those who have committed acts of terror, or conspired to make them possible.”
Clear warning
Before the CCS met, a clear warning was issued to Pakistan by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who said, “Those responsible will soon see a loud and clear response… We will not only target the perpetrators of this act but also actors behind the scenes.”
Significantly, the Defence Minister’s warning was issued after he had held a meeting with the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal AK Singh, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, among others.
Retaliatory action
In this three-hour-long meeting early in the day, which saw a presentation from the Army Chief, a plan for retaliatory action was discussed, sources aware of the development said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, after returning to Delhi from the overnight stocktaking visit of Srinagar and Pahalgam, gave a lowdown of the ground situation to the five-member CCS.
Meanwhile, at the ground level, the police and other security agencies continued the pursuit of the group of six Lashkar-e-Taiba and its affiliate The Resistance Force, which has taken responsibility for the attack.
The police have already released sketches of three terrorists including Adil Thokar alias Adil Guri, a resident of Guri village of Anantnag who went to Pakistan through Wagah border in 2018 and joined LeT and returned last year, said local police sources.
The attack, which left among dead an officer each from the Intelligence Bureau, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, is likely to be handed over to the NIA for investigation on Thursday. An all-party meeting is to be held in the Capital on Thursday where leaders of the opposition will be briefed by the Defence Minister.
Published on April 23, 2025
