Pakistan mulls reacting to Indian response over Pahalgam attack
Islamabad has denied any role and said it had nothing to do with the attack
Top security officials of Pakistan government are about to sit today (24 April) to decide on measures which will be taken against Indian response over Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of more than two dozen lives.
During the meeting, the top security officials will take comprehensive policy decisions on India's aggressive measures towards Pakistan, including the latter's withdrawal from Indus Water Treaty and removal of Pakistani diplomats, Dawn reports.
The suspension of Indus Water Treaty is significant, as the treaty has withstood the bumpy ride that the diplomatic relationship between the two arch rivals has taken over the years.
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India further lowered diplomatic ties by closing down the main border transit point, framing the attack as a grave provocation that warranted significant diplomatic, economic, and logistical pressure on Pakistan. Indian officials directly tied these measures to Islamabad's alleged support for "cross-border terrorism".
But Islamabad has denied any role and said it had nothing to do with the attack.
"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 of this evening," Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Appearing on a private television channel late yesterday (23 April), Dar lashed out at India's approach, calling it "immature" and "hasty".
"India has not given any evidence. They have not shown any maturity in their response," Dar said. "This is a non-serious approach. They started creating hype immediately after the incident."
Pakistan's Foreign Office, in a separate statement earlier in the day, expressed regret over the loss of life.
"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," the statement said.
Diplomatic observers warn that the Indian response and Pakistan's counter-messaging could push bilateral relations to new lows, further widening a rift that has persisted since the 2019 Pulwama-Balakot crisis. The treaty suspension, in particular, risks sparking long-term water disputes, while the downgrading of diplomatic ties could hinder any future de-escalation efforts.
Aggressive measures
The announcement of punitive measures came after Tuesday's (22 April) meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Indian PM Narendra Modi.
"The CCS was briefed in detail on the terrorist attack on 22 April 2025 in Pahalgam, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed. 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," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a press conference after the CCS meeting.
The statement said: "Recognising the seriousness of this terrorist attack, the CCS decided upon the following measures," detailing how 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."
"The Integrated Check Post Attari will be closed with immediate effect. Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before 1 May 2025," it said.
Additionally, Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the Saarc Visa Exemption Scheme. "Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India."
Furthermore, defence attaches and advisers at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi had been declared 'Persona Non Grata' and given a week to leave India.
"India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisers from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions," Misri said.
The statement also said that security forces had been put on high alert. "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," the foreign ministry statement said.
'Loud and clear' response
Meanwhile, India's defence minister vowed a swift response to those who carried out and planned the Pahalgam attack.
"Those responsible and behind such an act will very soon hear our response, loud and clear," Rajnath Singh said in a speech in New Delhi, a day after gunmen killed 26 men at a tourist hotspot in the contested Himalayan region.
"We won't just reach those people who carried out the attack. We will also reach out to those who planned this from behind the scenes on our land." Singh did not identify those he believes are responsible for the killings, but said that "India's government will take every step that may be necessary and appropriate".
A hospital list verified by police recorded 26 men who were killed on Tuesday afternoon, when gunmen burst out of forests at a popular tourist spot in Pahalgam, and raked crowds of visitors with automatic weapons. All those killed were listed as residents of India, except one man from Nepal.
Meanwhile, an encounter was reportedly underway between Indian security forces and suspected militants in the Tangmarg area abutting Pahalgam, at the time of going to press.
In a separate incident in Baramulla on Wednesday, the army killed two people after a "heavy exchange of fire", saying the gunmen were part of an "infiltration bid", AFP reported.
World leaders express support "Strong expressions of support and solidarity have been received from many governments around the world," Misri said.
US President Donald Trump was among the first to express solidarity with New Delhi. Following his lead, a whole host of US lawmakers and officials, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the armed attack and extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said he was shocked by the attack in Pahalgam, while the leaders of France, Germany, the UK and the European Union also expressed their grief. The Israeli foreign ministry and the UAE foreign ministry also sent messages of solidarity with the government.
Analyst Michael Kugelman said the attack posed a "very serious risk of a new crisis between India and Pakistan, and probably the most serious risk of a crisis since the brief military conflict that happened in 2019".
