Tensions Escalate: Pakistan Shuts Wagah Border, Cancels SAARC Visas in Response to India’s Diplomatic Offensive

Islamabad : In a swift and stern response to India’s diplomatic measures following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Pakistan has announced a series of countermeasures, escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The Pakistani government, invoking the Simla Agreement, declared that all bilateral agreements with India will be held in abeyance unless New Delhi complies with international laws and UN resolutions on Kashmir.

Key decisions made by Pakistan’s National Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, include:

Immediate closure of the Wagah border, suspending all transit from India. Indian nationals who entered through Wagah must exit by April 30.

Suspension of all SAARC visas for Indian nationals, except Sikh pilgrims, with a 48-hour exit deadline for existing visitors.

Closure of Pakistan’s airspace to Indian-owned or operated airlines.

Suspension of all bilateral trade, including via third countries.

Expulsion of Indian Defence, Naval, and Air Advisors, who must leave by April 30.

Reduction in Indian High Commission staff to 30 members by month-end.

Pakistan also strongly rejected India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a binding international agreement brokered by the World Bank.

Terming India’s diplomatic steps as “unilateral, unjust, and devoid of legal merit,” Pakistan accused New Delhi of politicizing the tragic Pahalgam incident, which India attributes to cross-border terrorism.

The fallout from the Pahalgam carnage, one of the deadliest attacks in recent years in Kashmir, continues to deepen the diplomatic rift, as both sides harden their positions.(Agencies)