Pakistan has taken a big decision in response to the steps taken by India after the death of 26 people in the Pahalgam attack. It happened with India in 1972 Shimla Agreement Has been suspended. This is the same agreement which was signed after the 1971 war and in which the Line of Control (LOC) was fixed in Kashmir. It was also written in this agreement that India and Pakistan would resolve mutual disputes through dialogue.
Decision of Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC)
Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) took all these decisions after a meeting of about two hours. The meeting described India’s action as “unilateral, illegal, irresponsible and politically motivated”. However, the committee also expressed condolences to those killed in the Pahalgam attack.
Pakistan took these decisions:
- Shimla agreement with India was suspended.
- Trade from Wagah Border has been completely stopped. Those who have entered Pakistan through this route with valid documents till April 30 have been asked to return.
- The visa exemption given to Indian citizens under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme has been abolished. However, Sikh pilgrims are exempted from this.
- Military advisers – defence, navy and air attachés – working in the Indian High Commission have been declared ‘persona non grata’. He and his support staff have been asked to leave Pakistan by April 30.
- The staff strength of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad will be reduced to 30.
- Pakistani airspace is now closed to all Indian owned or operated airlines.
- Pakistan has stopped all trade – whether directly with India or through any third country – with immediate effect.
What happened from India’s side?
On April 22, 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Terrorist organization ‘The Resistance Front’ has taken responsibility for the attack. After this, India took many important steps while putting pressure on Pakistan. These also included the announcement of temporarily stopping the Indus Water Treaty (water sharing agreement).
Pakistan’s warning on Indus Water Treaty
Pakistan has said that if India cancels the agreement or tries to stop the water, it will be considered an “act of war”. Pakistan said that this is an international treaty which cannot be canceled unilaterally and it is the lifeline of its 24 crore people.
Indian flights affected due to closure of airspace
As soon as Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian airlines, Indian airlines companies like Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa Air started changing the routes of their flights. This will increase both time and cost of flights to Europe, America and Gulf countries. Even after the Pulwama attack in 2019, Pakistan took the same step for five months due to which Indian airlines suffered a loss of about ₹540 crore. Indian airlines are now flying more international flights than before, due to which the losses may be even greater in 2025. Companies like Air India, Indigo have now started direct flights to Europe and America in large numbers.
First Published – April 24, 2025 | 7:51 PM IST
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