New Delhi/Islamabad: In the wake of the devastating terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 dead, diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan have intensified sharply. Pakistan has threatened to suspend all bilateral agreements with India—including the historic 1972 Simla Pact—following India’s retaliatory measures, including the indefinite suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
India, citing cross-border links in the attack probe, also ordered all Pakistani nationals to leave by April 29, cancelled all visas including diplomatic and medical ones, and declared key Pakistani diplomatic staff as Persona Non Grata. Pakistan responded by reducing Indian staff at its High Commission and announced a full visa suspension, border closures, and a ban on Indian air carriers in its airspace.
Terming any obstruction of Indus River waters an “act of war,” Pakistan warned of a full-spectrum response. With major rivers like the Jhelum and Chenab blocked, millions in Pakistan face water shortages.
Amid growing hostilities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed justice for the Pahalgam victims, stating terrorists and their backers “will pay an unimaginable cost.” The massacre, described as an assault on the soul of India, drew global condemnation, including from US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The victims, mostly Hindu tourists, were identified by the attackers using religious profiling tactics before being gunned down in the Baisaran meadows. One Nepali national was also among the deceased.
