Pahalgam attack: India suspends Indus Waters Treaty, expels Pakistani officials, closes Attari border check post

(Web Desk): India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in the aftermath of a deadly attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), that killed 26 tourists and injured 17 others.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed the media on Wednesday, stating that the cabinet was given a comprehensive briefing on the attack. He declined to take questions but outlined the key decisions made during the emergency session.

According to Misri, India will immediately suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, a long-standing agreement that governs the sharing of river waters between India and Pakistan.

"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 suspension marks a major departure from decades of water cooperation, even during periods of military and diplomatic strain.

India has also shut down the Attari-Wagah border crossing, a key point for trade and civilian movement between the two nations, with immediate effect.

"Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled, and any Pakistani national currently in India under SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India," the diplomat added.