In a sharp escalation of tensions following India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office issued a stern warning on Thursday, April 24, 2025, declaring that any attempt to disrupt water flows to Pakistan would be considered an “act of war.”

The statement came after a high-level meeting of Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which outlined a series of retaliatory measures, including the closure of its airspace to Indian airlines and a complete halt to all trade activities with India.

The NSC, attended by senior civilian and military leaders, addressed the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. While unequivocally condemning the violence, Pakistan rejected India’s attempts to attribute the attack to it, dismissing such claims as “frivolous” and lacking credible evidence.

The committee reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding position that Kashmir remains an unresolved dispute, emphasizing the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination as recognized by UN resolutions.

It accused India of perpetuating violence through state oppression, demographic changes, and the marginalization of minorities, particularly Muslims, citing recent legislative moves like the Waqf Bill as evidence of systemic persecution.

Pakistan’s strongest rebuke was reserved for India’s announcement to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. The 1960 treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has been a cornerstone of water-sharing between the two nations, surviving three wars. The NSC underscored that the agreement contains no provision for unilateral suspension and described water as a “vital national interest” for Pakistan’s 240 million people.

“Any attempt to stop or divert Pakistan’s rightful share of water under the treaty, or to usurp the rights of a lower riparian state, will be treated as an act of war and met with a comprehensive response across all domains of national power,” the statement read.

In response to India’s measures, Pakistan announced a sweeping suspension of all bilateral agreements, including the Simla Pact, accusing India of violating international norms and fostering terrorism. The Wagah border post was ordered closed immediately, with cross-border transit halted, though those with valid endorsements may return by April 30, 2025.

Pakistan also revoked all SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas for Indian nationals, except for Sikh pilgrims, and instructed Indians in Pakistan to leave within 48 hours. Indian defence, naval, and air advisors in Islamabad were declared persona non grata and given until April 30 to depart, with their posts deemed annulled. The Indian High Commission in Islamabad will see its staff reduced from 55 to 30 by the same date.

Further, Pakistan closed its airspace to all Indian-owned or -operated airlines and suspended all trade with India, including third-country trade routed through Pakistan. The NSC accused India of exploiting the Pahalgam attack to advance a narrow political agenda, pointing to the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving Indian Navy officer in Pakistan’s custody, as evidence of India’s alleged state-sponsored terrorism. It also criticized India’s “irresponsible warmongering” through state-controlled media, warning that such rhetoric fuels regional instability.

The committee expressed deep sorrow for the loss of lives in Pahalgam but labeled India’s retaliatory measures—announced on April 23—as unilateral, unjust, and politically driven. It argued that India’s narrative of victimhood obscures its own role in regional violence, including alleged extraterritorial assassinations exposed by Pakistan and other nations. Pakistan vowed to pursue justice for those responsible for terrorism and to respond firmly to any threats to its sovereignty.

Reaffirming its commitment to counter-terrorism, the NSC highlighted Pakistan’s sacrifices as a frontline state against terrorism, having endured significant human and economic losses. It called on India to abandon its “reflexive blame game” and take responsibility for its security failures in Jammu and Kashmir. The committee concluded by asserting that Pakistan’s armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation’s territorial integrity against any misadventure, urging the international community to take note of India’s provocative actions.

As the region braces for heightened tensions, Pakistan’s measures signal a deepening rift with India, with both nations adopting hardline stances in the aftermath of the Pahalgam tragedy.

In a heart-wrenching farewell, Shubham Dwivedi, a 31-year-old businessman from Kanpur who lost his life in the Pahalgam terror attack, was cremated with full state honours in his native village, Hathipur, on Thursday.

The sombre ceremony saw Uttar Pradesh Cabinet ministers Yogendra Upadhyay and Rakesh Sachan lay wreaths on his mortal remains, extending their condolences to the grieving family. A guard of honour was accorded to the departed soul, reflecting the state’s reverence for his sacrifice.

Shubham, married to Ashanya just two months ago on February 12, was among the 26 victims, mostly tourists, killed on Tuesday in a brutal attack at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam in Anantnag district—one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in Kashmir in recent memory.

His body was flown from Srinagar to Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport late Wednesday night. A green corridor facilitated the swift transport of his remains to Hathipur in Kanpur district.

At the airport, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak paid his respects, joining the family in their moment of profound loss. Shubham, the only son of his parents, was on a week-long family trip to Kashmir with his wife, parents, in-laws, sister, brother-in-law, and extended family when tragedy struck.

Recounting the chilling ordeal, Ashanya shared with journalists the horror of watching her husband being singled out by the terrorists.

“They demanded to know who was Muslim and asked them to recite the kalma. Before I could grasp what was happening, they shot Shubham point-blank the moment he said he was Hindu,” she said, her voice trembling with grief.

The last rites drew thousands of mourners, including state Congress president Ajay Rai, senior officials, and the two Cabinet ministers, all united in honouring Shubham’s memory. His untimely death has left a void in Hathipur, with the community rallying around his family, mourning a life cut short by an act of senseless violence

In a decisive response to the horrific Pahalgam terror attack, India on Thursday, April 24, announced the immediate suspension of visa services for Pakistani nationals, following a series of stringent measures approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on April 23.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declared that all existing visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be revoked starting April 27, with medical visas remaining valid only until April 29. Pakistani citizens currently in India have been instructed to leave before their visas expire.

The MEA also issued a stern advisory, urging Indian nationals to refrain from travelling to Pakistan and calling on those in the neighbouring country to return home immediately. This comes alongside a significant downgrade in diplomatic relations with Pakistan, prompted by evidence of cross-border links to the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives, including one foreign national, on April 22.

The attack took place in Baisaran, a picturesque meadow often called ‘mini Switzerland,’ located six kilometres from Pahalgam. Armed terrorists opened fire on unsuspecting tourists in the serene, pine-fringed valley, leaving a trail of devastation. The Resistance Front (TRF), a front for the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the assault. Security agencies have since released sketches of three suspected attackers—Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha—and intensified efforts to bring them to justice.

On April 23, the CCS, India’s apex body on national security, unveiled a slew of punitive measures targeting Pakistan. These include the indefinite suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, a historic agreement brokered by the World Bank that had endured through three India-Pakistan wars. The Attari-Wagah Integrated Check Post will be shut immediately, though those with valid endorsements may return via this route until May 1, 2025. Additionally, Pakistani nationals will no longer be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, with existing visas cancelled and a 48-hour exit deadline imposed.

Diplomatic ties have been further strained with the expulsion of Pakistani military advisers—naval and air officials—from the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi, declared persona non grata and given a week to leave. India will reciprocally withdraw its own defence advisers from Islamabad, and both nations will reduce their High Commission staff from 55 to 30 by May 1, 2025. Five support staff members from each side will also be withdrawn immediately.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, announcing the measures, highlighted the CCS’s findings of Pakistan’s role in the attack. “This heinous act came at a time when Jammu and Kashmir is making strides in economic growth and democratic progress post-elections.

The CCS has resolved to hold the perpetrators and their sponsors accountable, pursuing justice relentlessly, as seen in the recent extradition of Tahawwur Rana,” he said. Misri also noted that security forces have been directed to maintain heightened vigilance across the country.

Water Resources Minister C.R. Paatil endorsed the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a “bold and necessary step.” He recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had previously warned Pakistan of consequences for supporting terrorism. “The culprits will face the full might of our response, just as they have in the past,” Paatil asserted.