India suspends Indus Waters Treaty, closes borders with Pakistan

India announced to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, also known as the Sindh Tas Agreement, and asked Pakistani nationals to leave India within 48 hours.

India’s foreign ministry on Wednesday announced that the Attari and Wagah borders will be closed. Pakistani nationals will no longer be able to travel to India under the SAARC visa exemption.

“The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect,” India’s top diplomat Vikram Misri told media persons in New Delhi.

The Indian foreign ministry also announced to India recall all its defense attachés from Islamabad.

The attack in Pahalgam, Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a popular destination in the scenic, mountainous region, claimed at least 26 lives.

Following the attack, Indian media and social media accounts linked to intelligence agency RAW swiftly began targeting Pakistan with unfounded accusations. The narrative also attempted to portray the incident as religiously motivated, with claims that non-Muslim tourists were deliberately targeted.

As in previous instances, Indian media has continued to circulate baseless propaganda, raising further questions about the credibility of the official narrative.

India revoked Kashmir’s special status in 2019, splitting the state into two federally administered territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, leading to total occupation. The move also allowed local authorities to issue domicile rights to outsiders leading to widespread anger and protests.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has expressed deep concern over the loss of lives of tourists in Pahalgam in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

In a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Pakistan extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased in IIOJK.

The Foreign Office spokesperson also conveyed best wishes for the swift recovery of those injured in the incident.