ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): As India escalated the diplomatic rift with Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has convened the meeting of the National Security Committee on Thursday morning to respond to the Indian government’s statement this evening.
According to the sources, top military and civilian leadership will participate in the high-level meeting and will give an effective response to India’s actions.
The announcement came after India took several measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, expelling Pakistani nationals, and ordering officials of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi to leave the country within a week.
The Indian action came a day after an attack in Pahalgam in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which killed at least 26 tourists and injured 17 others when gunmen attacked a popular tourist spot.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that a session of the National Security Committee (NSC) has been summoned to decide on an appropriate response to the steps taken by New Delhi.
In a separate statement today, the defence minister said that Pakistan condemns terrorism wherever it occurs in the world and India should investigate the Pahalgam incident, as merely levelling allegations won’t absolve them of responsibility.
While talking with a private news channel, Asif said that India’s allegation against Pakistan for the Pahalgam incident is inappropriate.
He questioned how Pakistan could promote terrorism, being a victim of the threat itself.
India’s action after attack
The Indian government suspended the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and ordered the cancellation of visas of Pakistani nationals.
The decisions were taken during the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening after the deadliest attack in Indian occupied Kashmir.
Addressing the media after the high-level meeting, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that Pakistani nationals will no longer be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme visas.
Misri added that any Pakistani national holding such visas has 48 hours to leave India.
Furthermore, he announced that the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty would take immediate effect.
India also ordered the expulsion of Pakistani diplomats from India, declaring them persona non grata within a week.
In addition to that, the Foreign Secretary stated that the Wagah-Attari border will be closed with immediate effect. “Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1, 2025,” he added.
As India escalated the diplomatic rift with Pakistan, Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has convened the meeting of the National Security Committee on Thursday morning to respond to the Indian government’s statement this evening.
According to the sources, top military and civilian leadership will participate in the high-level meeting and will give an effective response to India’s actions.
