PNS|New Delhi
India on Wednesday suspended the Indus Water Treaty and announced downgrading diplomatic ties with Pakistan including expulsion of its military attaches in view of cross-border links to the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met this evening under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and firmed up the responses to the terror attack.
The CCS also decided to close the Integrated Check Post at Attari with immediate effect, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a late evening press briefing.
It is learnt that the CCS lasted for around two and a half hours.
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 Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled, Misri said.
The CCS 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 cross-border terrorism, he said.
On 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 1. Misri said, “The defence, military, naval and air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Grata.”
They have a week to leave India, he said. India will be withdrawing its own defence, navy and air advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
“These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions,” he said.
“The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by May 1,” he said.
The CCS was briefed in detail on the terrorist attack on Tuesday in Pahalgam that left 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen dead.
“A 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 injured,” Misri said.
“Strong expressions of support and solidarity have been received from many Governments around the world, which have unequivocally condemned this terror attack,” he said.
The foreign secretary said the CCS recorded its appreciation for such sentiments, which reflect zero tolerance for terrorism.
In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out, he said.
“It 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 development,” he said.
Misri said the CCS reviewed the overall security situation and directed all forces to maintain high vigil.
“It resolved that the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account,” he said.
“As 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 possible,” he said.
All-party meeting on terror attack today
The government will be calling an all-party meeting on Thursday in the wake of the terror attack in Pahalgam, official sources said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to chair it, they said.
Home Minister Amit Shah and Singh are speaking to leaders of various parties on the issue, the sources said.
Several opposition parties, including the Congress, had demanded that the government should convene a meeting of all parties over the issue.
Singh is expected to brief leaders of different parties on the brutal terror attack targeting tourists that left at least 26 persons dead.
On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security in the wake of the biggest terror attack targeting civilians in a long spell of time.
