NEW DELHI: India has responded strongly to the Pahalgam terror attack by drastically reducing its diplomatic and military ties with Pakistan. The move follows the brutal attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 people dead and over 20 injured, prompting national outrage and swift political action.
The Indian government convened an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), where key decisions were taken to signal India’s displeasure to Islamabad. At a press briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that India has declared the Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors posted at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi as persona non grata. They have been asked to leave within a week.
In a reciprocal move, India will withdraw its own Defence, Navy, and Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Additionally, both nations will reduce their High Commission staff from 55 to 30 members by May 1, 2025. Five support staff attached to these military advisors will also be withdrawn.
In a significant regional development, India suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals with immediate effect. The scheme was originally meant to ease official travel across South Asia. Pakistanis currently in India on SVES visas have been ordered to leave within 48 hours.
These measures represent the steepest diplomatic and defence rollback between the two countries in recent years. Officials say the actions are intended to send a clear and firm message to Pakistan regarding its accountability in cross-border terrorism.
This downsizing not only impacts political and defence exchanges but also marks a serious cooling of formal ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in the wake of terror.
On Tuesday afternoon, five to six terrorists attacked a group of tourists in Baisaran meadow, about 5 km from Pahalgam. Described by locals as “mini Switzerland,” the meadow is only accessible on foot or horseback. What was meant to be a peaceful retreat turned into one of the bloodiest civilian attacks in the region in recent memory.
-Agencies
