Pahalgam terror attack: India suspends Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan

India downgraded its diplomatic ties with Pakistan on Wednesday and announced a raft of measures including the expulsion of Pakistani military attacheacutes suspension of the over sixdecadeold Indus Water Treaty as well as the immediate shutting down of the Attari landtransit post in view of the crossborder links to the Pahalgam terror attack reported news agency PTIA day after the attack in which 26 civilians were killed the Cabinet Committee on Security CCS met on Wednesday evening under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and firmed up New Delhis retaliatory measures to the dastardly strike and directed the security forces to maintain high vigilAt a late evening media briefing Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced the decisions taken during the meeting and stated that the overall strength of the Pakistani and Indian high commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 from May 1The new retaliatory measures shut down the few existing diplomatic mechanisms between the two sides taking bilateral relations to yet another new low PTI reportedThe foreign secretary said the committee resolved that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to accountMisri said that the CCS was given a briefing on the incident including the ldquocrossborder linkagesrdquo of the attack PTI reportedPak nationals canrsquot travel to India under SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme He informed that ldquothe defence military naval and air advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Gratardquo and they will have to leave India in a weekNew Delhi will also be withdrawing its own defence navy and air advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad he addedldquoThese posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissionsrdquo said MisriThe CCS meeting which lasted for twoandahalf hours decided to close the Integrated Check Post at Attari with immediate effect It is the only operational land border crossing between the two countriesFurthermore Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme SVES and any such visas issued in the past to them are now deemed cancelled Misri saidldquoThe CCS also decided that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for crossborder terrorismrdquo the foreign secretary saidOne Nepali citizen killed in Pahalgam attackOn the closing of the Integrated Check Post at Attari Misri said those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1Of the 26 victims one was a Nepali citizen he informedldquoA number of others sustained injuries The CCS condemned the attack in the strongest terms and expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the early recovery of the injuredrdquo Misri saidldquoStrong expressions of support and solidarity have been received from many governments around the world which have unequivocally condemned this terror attackrdquo he informedThe foreign secretary said the CCS recorded its appreciation for such sentiments which reflect zero tolerance for terrorismIn the briefing to the CCS the crossborder linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out he saidldquoIt was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in the Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir and its steady progress towards economic growth and developmentrdquo he saidMisri said the CCS reviewed the overall security situation and directed all forces to maintain high vigilldquoIt resolved that the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to accountrdquo he said adding ldquoAs 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 possiblerdquoWith PTI inputsatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params