India suspends Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan after 26 tourists were killed and 17 injured in a shooting in Pahalgam, a tourist destination in occupied Kashmir. The attack happened on Tuesday and is the deadliest in the region since 2000.Police confirmed all deceased were men, mostly from across India and one from Nepal. AFP cited a hospital list confirmed by police, calling it the worst attack on civilians in the region since 2000.
Following the attack, India announced several measures. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, met and reviewed the situation. He said, “In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of the elections in the union territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development. Recognising the seriousness of this terrorist attack, the CCS decided upon the following measures: the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
India also closed the Attari border post immediately. Pakistani nationals under the Saarc Visa Exemption Scheme were ordered to leave India within 48 hours. Others must leave by May 1, 2025. Indian authorities also announced that defence personnel at the Pakistani High Commission must leave within a week. Staff in both high commissions will be reduced.
Read more: Who’s Behind the Deadly Kashmir Attack? 26 Lives Lost in Pahalgam Horror
Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Khan said, “We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives in an attack in Anantnag district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. We extend our condolences to the near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery.” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif denied Pakistan’s involvement.
The Attari-Wagah border ritual, ongoing since 1959, now stands suspended. Trump assured Modi of full support while China and others condemned the attack. India launched a search operation and claimed to have killed two people in an infiltration attempt.
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