India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
India
has
taken
seven
decisive
actions
in
response
to
the
Pahalgam
attack
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir,
which
claimed
the
lives
of
26
individuals,
sending
a
powerful
message
to
Pakistan.
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
declared
on
Thursday
that
India
will
“identify,
track,
and
punish” every
terrorist
and
their
“backers”
responsible
for
the
Pahalgam
tragedy,
vowing
to
pursue
the
perpetrators
to
the
“ends
of
the
earth.”
The
day
after
the
attack
on
Tuesday,
the
Cabinet
Committee
on
Security
(CCS),
led
by
Prime
Minister
Modi,
met
to
finalize
five
key
retaliatory
actions
against
Pakistan.
These
measures
included
a
directive
for
security
forces
to
maintain
“high
vigilance”
and
a
commitment
to
bring
the
attackers
to
justice.
On
Thursday,
two
additional
crucial
decisions
were
made.
Here
are
the
seven
steps
India
has
taken
against
Pakistan:
Suspension
of
the
Indus
Waters
Treaty:
On
Wednesday,
India
announced
it
would
suspend
the
Indus
Waters
Treaty,
a
1960
agreement
that
governs
the
distribution
of
water
from
the
Indus
River
system.
The
treaty,
brokered
by
the
World
Bank,
has
been
pivotal
for
both
countries’ water
supply.
India
made
clear
that
the
suspension
would
remain
in
effect
unless
Pakistan
credibly
and
permanently
halts
its
support
for
cross-border
terrorism.
Expulsion
of
Pakistani
Military
Attachés:
India
expelled
three
Pakistani
military
attachés
and
instructed
Pakistan
to
reduce
the
staff
at
its
high
commission
in
New
Delhi
from
55
to
30.
Suspension
of
SAARC
Visa
Exemption:
India
declared
that
Pakistani
nationals
would
no
longer
be
permitted
to
travel
to
India
under
the
South
Asian
Association
for
Regional
Cooperation
(SAARC)
visa
exemption
scheme
(SVES).
Furthermore,
any
Pakistani
national
currently
in
India
under
the
SVES
visa
has
48
hours
to
leave
the
country.
Closure
of
the
Integrated
Check
Post
at
Attari:
The
CCS
decided
to
shut
down
the
Integrated
Check
Post
at
Attari,
the
sole
operational
land
border
crossing
between
the
two
nations.
Foreign
Secretary
Vikram
Misri
stated
that
individuals
with
valid
endorsements
could
return
via
this
route
before
May
1.
Expulsion
of
Pakistani
Diplomats:
India
declared
the
defence,
military,
naval,
and
air
advisors
at
the
Pakistani
high
commission
in
New
Delhi
as
“persona
non
grata,” giving
them
a
week
to
depart.
In
response,
India
will
withdraw
its
own
defence,
navy,
and
air
advisors
from
the
Indian
high
commission
in
Islamabad.
Suspension
of
Visa
Services:
India
announced
that
it
would
suspend
visa
services
for
Pakistani
nationals
immediately.
All
existing
valid
visas
issued
to
Pakistani
nationals
will
be
revoked
as
of
April
27.
Medical
visas
will
be
valid
only
until
April
29.
Pakistani
nationals
currently
in
India
must
leave
before
their
visas
expire.
Scaling
Down
the
Retreat
Ceremony
at
Border
Posts:
The
Border
Security
Force
(BSF)
announced
a
reduction
in
the
scale
of
the
retreat
ceremony
at
Attari,
Hussainiwala,
and
Sadki
along
the
India-Pakistan
border
in
Punjab.
This
daily
flag-lowering
ceremony,
which
has
been
held
since
1959,
typically
attracts
large
crowds,
including
foreign
tourists
and
locals.
