India has ordered all Pakistani nationals currently in the country to leave by April 29, citing national security concerns following a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir that left 26 civilians dead.
The move comes as part of a broader diplomatic and security response after Tuesday’s mass shooting in the Baisaran valley of the Pahalgam area, which claimed the lives of 25 Indians and one Nepalese national. It is the deadliest civilian attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
“In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India has decided to suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect,” a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs said. “All Pakistani nationals currently in India must leave India before the expiry of visas, as now amended.”
The announcement does not affect accredited Pakistani diplomats, though India had ordered a reduction in diplomatic staff the day prior.
A little-known militant group calling itself “Kashmir Resistance” claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, citing opposition to demographic changes in the region. Indian security agencies allege the group is a front for Pakistan-based organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. Two of the attackers have been identified by Indian police as Pakistani nationals.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Bihar, vowed that the government would “pursue [the attackers] to the ends of the earth” and ensure that both terrorists and their supporters “face consequences.”
In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic hostilities, India also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty — a decades-old agreement governing the shared use of the Indus River and its tributaries — and shut down the only operational land border crossing with Pakistan.
Pakistan has responded forcefully, calling India’s moves “illegal” and “an act of war.” A statement from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office warned of “full-spectrum” retaliation if water flows from the Indus River are blocked. Islamabad also expelled Indian military attachés and revoked visas for Indian citizens, except Sikh pilgrims.
The Pakistani government announced the closure of its borders to Indian goods, cancellation of trade ties, and a ban on Indian-operated aircraft in its airspace.
Relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors have sharply deteriorated since India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status in 2019. Tuesday’s attack has now further deepened the divide, with both nations exchanging threats and warnings amid growing international concern.
