In a sweeping response to the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, the Indian government has suspended all visa services for Pakistani nationals with immediate effect. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on April 24, 2025, that all existing valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals, including those for medical treatment, stand revoked effective April 27, 2025. 

However, medical visas have been given a short grace period and will remain valid only until April 29, 2025, effectively giving Pakistani nationals in India on medical grounds just a few days to leave the country.

The decision follows a high-level Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, for which The Resistance Front (TRF), a group linked to the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility.

The MEA’s statement makes it clear that all Pakistani nationals currently in India must exit before their amended visa expiry dates. Indian citizens have also been strongly advised to avoid traveling to Pakistan, and those already there are urged to return at the earliest.

In addition to the visa suspension, India has taken several other retaliatory measures:

The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals has been suspended, with any Pakistanis in India on such visas required to leave within 48 hours.

The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 has been put on hold until Pakistan takes credible action against cross-border terrorism.

The Integrated Check Post at Attari has been closed, with those who entered with valid endorsements allowed to return before May 1, 2025.

Diplomatic downgrading includes the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches and the withdrawal of Indian defence advisors from Islamabad.

Pakistan has responded by closing its airspace to Indian airlines, shutting the Wagah border crossing, suspending all trade with India, and warning that any attempt to divert water under the Indus Water Treaty will be considered an act of war.

This escalation marks a significant deterioration in India-Pakistan relations, with both countries taking strong diplomatic, economic, and security-related actions in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

NDTV Report