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3d ago

India Halts SAARC Visa Exemption for Pakistan After Deadly Pahalgam Attack

Following a terror attack linked to a Pakistan-based group, India suspends key agreements, tightens border policies, and orders Pakistani nationals to leave within 48 hours.

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Overview

  • India has suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, ending a decades-old regional travel facilitation arrangement.
  • All Pakistani nationals currently in India under SVES have been directed to exit the country within 48 hours, with a final deadline of May 1 for valid visa holders to return via the Attari-Wagah border.
  • The move follows the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people and was claimed by The Resistance Front, a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
  • India has also suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, declared Pakistani defence advisors persona non grata, and reduced diplomatic staff in both High Commissions to 30.
  • The measures signal a significant rollback in regional cooperation, with the Indian government emphasizing zero tolerance for cross-border terrorism.