Pakistan on Thursday retaliated to India’s action post Pahalgam terror attack and announced suspension of Shimla and other bilateral agreements, closed airspace for Indian airlines, and Wagah Border Post immediately.
The slew of steps were announced after it was approved in the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting chaired by its PM Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday to articulate a response to New Delhi’s tough stand following the massacre of 26 tourists in Pahalgam area of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and to the security of its people will be met with firm reciprocal measures in all domains. India should refrain from its reflexive blame game and cynical staged, managed exploitation of incidents like Pahalgam to further its narrow political agenda,” a statement issued by Sharif’s office read.
“Such tactics serve only to inflame tensions and obstruct the path to peace and stability in the region,” Pakistan observed on a day when PM Narendra Modi vowed to hunt down terrorists and their backers for the bloodbath at Pahalgam.
The NSC also disapproved of, what it said, the implicit threat contained in the Indian statement of April 23, 2025, referring perhaps to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement that terrorists and actors will be smoked out wherever they are.
It also announced tit-for-tat suspension of visas under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme to Indians, but not for Sikh pilgrims.
Similarly, Islamabad declared Indian Defence, Naval, and Air attaches persona non grata and asked them to leave the country by April 30, 2025.
The neighbouring country also reduced Indian High Commission staff to 30 personnel —a repeat of what New Delhi did the previous evening.
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Discontinued trade
Pakistan also discontinued all trade with India, including those routed through third countries.
Rejecting the Indian decision to keep in abeyance the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan stated the river is the lifeline for 240 million Pakistanis.
According to the statement, “any attempt to divert or stop water meant for Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty will be considered an act of War.”