Pahalgam: In a landmark and assertive decision, the Indian government has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 and closed the Attari-Wagah border in a strong diplomatic and strategic response to the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, including one foreign national.
The attack, carried out by the Pakistan-based terror group The Resistance Front, has drawn widespread condemnation and prompted an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following the meeting, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced a series of stringent measures against Pakistan, citing “cross-border linkages” established during the investigation of the attack.
Signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, the Indus Waters Treaty has been a rare pillar of stability in Indo-Pak relations, surviving three wars between the two nations. Under the treaty, India controls the waters of Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, while Pakistan controls Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. The suspension of this treaty marks a dramatic escalation in India’s stance, sending a clear signal that terrorism and diplomacy cannot co-exist.
Water Resources Minister CR Paatil hailed the decision, emphasizing that “blood and water cannot flow together,” echoing PM Modi’s earlier sentiments following the 2019 Pulwama attack.
Alongside the suspension of the treaty, India has revoked the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals. SVES, which allowed dignitaries such as judges, MPs, senior officials, and journalists to travel without a visa, has been annulled for Pakistan. All Pakistani nationals currently in India under this scheme have been given 48 hours to leave the country.
Furthermore, the Attari-Wagah Integrated Check Post has been shut, with only limited return passage permitted until May 1, 2025. India has also expelled Pakistani military and air attachés stationed at their High Commission in New Delhi and is withdrawing its own defence officials from Islamabad. Both nations will downsize their diplomatic staff from 55 to 30.
Foreign Secretary Misri underscored that these measures reflect the gravity of the Pahalgam attack, which took place amid peaceful elections and economic progress in the Union Territory. “The perpetrators and their sponsors will be brought to justice,” he said, referencing India’s successful extradition of Tahawwur Rana as a precedent for such determination.
Further intensifying the diplomatic freeze, India has revoked the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals. All previously issued SVES visas have been cancelled, and those currently residing in India under this scheme have been given 48 hours to exit the country.
The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is expected to significantly affect Pakistan, which is already grappling with a looming water crisis exacerbated by climate change, population growth, and mismanagement.
