India expels Pakistan's military envoys after Pahalgam terror attack

In a sweeping diplomatic retaliation, India on April 23 summoned Pakistan’s senior-most envoy in New Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, and issued a formal Persona Non Grata notice to all Pakistani military diplomats stationed in the country.

The move follows the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left at least 26 people dead and dozens injured.

The serene town of Pahalgam, once a symbol of peace in the Anantnag district, was plunged into mourning on April 22 after terrorists launched a brutal assault on a group of tourists, marking one of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years.

Reacting swiftly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired an emergency session of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which lasted over two hours and included senior ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and S. Jaishankar. The CCS resolved to take a series of tough measures aimed at sending a clear message to Islamabad.

Key diplomatic and strategic actions:

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, addressing the media, detailed five decisive steps adopted by the CCS:

• The Defense, Naval, and Air Advisors of the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi have been declared Persona Non Grata and given seven days to leave the country. India will simultaneously withdraw its military advisors from its own High Commission in Islamabad. Five support staff members will also be recalled from both missions.
• India will shut down the Integrated Check Post at Attari with immediate effect. Pakistani nationals who entered India with valid documents via this route must return before May 1, 2025.
• The Indus Waters Treaty, a long-standing bilateral agreement, will be placed in abeyance “until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
• Pakistani nationals will no longer be eligible for travel under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES), and all previously issued SVES visas stand canceled.

These actions signal a significant escalation in India’s diplomatic posture and underscore the Modi government’s intent to isolate Pakistan on the global stage over its alleged role in harboring and enabling terrorist networks targeting Indian civilians.