The central government has identified the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir as a cross-border conspiracy. Officials believe Pakistan is behind this violence, unable to accept the development happening in J&K after the removal of Article 370.
A high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi resulted in several crucial decisions. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which met for over two and a half hours in Delhi, included Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The government has suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan until it stops supporting cross-border terrorism. The Attari border checkpoint has been closed with immediate effect. Additionally, Pakistani nationals will no longer be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC visa exemption scheme, and their existing visas will be cancelled.
Indian authorities have reduced diplomatic staff at both countries’ High Commissions from 55 to 30 personnel. Pakistani military staff working in diplomatic offices in India have been declared unwanted persons and given one week to leave the country.
Security forces along the Pakistan border have been instructed to remain extremely vigilant. The government believes this attack was planned because extremists couldn’t tolerate the successful assembly elections and steady economic development in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister’s aircraft notably avoided Pakistani airspace when returning from Saudi Arabia, taking an alternative route over the Arabian Sea to reach Delhi via Gujarat.
