 "Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. File Image")
As India introduces punitive measures against Pakistan following the devastating Pahalgam attack, a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting is currently underway in Islamabad as Pakistan contemplates how to respond to the Indian wrath . According to the Pakistani news outlet Geo News, the emergency meeting is being conducted under the chairmanship of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“The National Security Committee will issue a comprehensive reply [to India],” Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told Geo News shortly before the meeting. The sources close to the matter told a Pakistani news outlet that the top civilian and military leadership is expected to discuss the internal and external security situation and review India’s measures. They believe that New Delhi introduced these restrictions “hastily”.
The meeting is coming against the backdrop of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty and ban the entry of Pakistani nationals after 26 people lost their lives in the Pahalgam attack. The announcement, made by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), laid out five measures that New Delhi has termed as “a decisive response to cross-border terrorism”.
What are the five measures?
As we wait for Pakistan’s official response to the matter, here are the five measures New Delhi introduced following the Pahalgam attack:
The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.
The Integrated Check Post Attari will be closed with immediate effect.
Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas. Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under an SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India.
The Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Grata. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55.
While several Pakistani ministers individually condemned the statement, the country has yet to share an official response.
With inputs from agencies.