India Calls In Senior Pakistani Diplomat, Issues Persona Non Grata Note
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Synopsis
In a decisive diplomatic response to the Pahalgam terror attack, India summoned Pakistan's top diplomat and issued a Persona Non Grata note for military attaches. The actions follow the tragic loss of 26 lives and aim to hold Pakistan accountable for cross-border terrorism.
Key Takeaways
- India summoned Pakistan's top diplomat.
- Issued a Persona Non Grata note for military attaches.
- Suspended the Indus Waters Treaty.
- Closed Integrated Check Post at Attari.
- Recalled Defence Advisors from Pakistan.
New Delhi, April 24 (NationPress) In a decisive diplomatic maneuver following the heinous Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, India summoned Pakistan's chief diplomat in New Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, on Wednesday and issued a formal Persona Non Grata note concerning all military attaches, as per reports.
This action follows a tragic incident in which 26 individuals lost their lives and many others sustained injuries in a brutal assault that Prime Minister Narendra Modi described as a cowardly attack on innocent civilians.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by the Pakistan-based terrorist group The Resistance Front, prompting a series of significant retaliatory measures from India.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi presided over a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) that extended for more than two hours, with attendance from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, among others.
After the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) briefed journalists about various strategies aimed at directly targeting Pakistan's diplomatic, economic, and military connections with India.
India has officially declared Pakistan's Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors stationed at the High Commission in New Delhi as Persona Non Grata. These expelled officials are required to vacate Indian territory within one week. Concurrently, India is retracting its own Defence, Navy, and Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, effectively nullifying all such diplomatic appointments. Five support staff linked to these roles will also be recalled from both nations.
In an unprecedented move, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, marking the first instance in which this significant agreement has been put on hold. The MEA confirmed that this decision will remain in force until Pakistan takes verifiable actions to cease its sponsorship of cross-border terrorism.
Further intensifying the diplomatic impasse, India has announced the immediate shutdown of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, an essential land corridor between the two countries. Pakistani nationals currently in India with valid travel documents have been instructed to return home via the ICP by May 1, 2025. After this deadline, all overland travel between the nations will be suspended indefinitely.
Additionally, Pakistani citizens will now be barred from entering India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). All previously issued SVES visas to Pakistani nationals have been revoked, and those in India under this scheme have been given 48 hours to depart.
Moreover, both countries will decrease their respective High Commission staff from 55 to 30 by May 1, as part of a reciprocal measure to reduce diplomatic presence and limit bilateral interactions.
The CCS has also instructed Indian armed forces and security agencies to maintain the highest level of alert due to the ongoing threat. Officials indicated that the search for those responsible for the Pahalgam attack has intensified, with a new National Investigation Agency (NIA) team deployed to the area.
Reiterating its zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, India reaffirmed its commitment to holding not only the perpetrators but also their sponsors accountable. Citing recent extraditions such as that of Tahawwur Rana, officials emphasized that the country will persist in its global diplomatic efforts to bring all individuals involved in anti-India terrorism to justice.
