India on Thursday announced the suspension of visa services for Pakistanis from the moment and revoked all valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals as of April 27. The Indian government has also issued an advisory to its citizens to not travel to Pakistan and also to Indian nationals currently in Pakistan to return home at the earliest.
These decisions come following the horrendous Pahalgam terror strike on April 22, where 26 civilians lost their lives in the deadliest attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in nearly two decades and the worst in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The attack has been directly linked to cross-border elements by India, drawing a wave of strong retaliatory measures.
It has been confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that the medical visas for Pakistani nationals would stay valid till April 29 on humanitarian grounds. According to the new directives, all Pakistani nationals lodged in India, at the time of their visa expiry, would be required to leave the country before their visa expiry date.
The latest measure was a continuation of several other punitive steps taken Wednesday, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960; the closure of the only operational land boundary crossing at Attari; and a major downgrade in diplomatic ties. It also expelled three Pakistani military attaches and left Pakistan to cut its high commission staff in New Delhi from 55 to 30.
Pakistani nationals will also not be allowed to avail themselves of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES), against which the visa-free movement of Pakistani nationals into India has become further restricted.
While addressing the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed his dedication to bringing the ones responsible for terrorism to justice and warned of further action. “There are so many terrorists, their handlers and their backers that we will find, track and punish.” Modi claimed, “We would chase them to the ends of the earth.”
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