India downgrades Pakistan ties after attack on Kashmir tourists

India announces raft of measures, including suspension of a key water-sharing treaty and the closure of border crossing.

India has announced a raft of measures to downgrade its ties to Pakistan, a day after armed men killed 26 people in the tourist town of Pahalgam in the disputed region Kashmir.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a media briefing on Wednesday that the cross-border linkages of the attack in Indian-administered Kashmir had been “brought out” at a special meeting of the security cabinet, after which it was decided to act against Pakistan.

He said the main land border crossing between the two countries would be shut with immediate effect and New Delhi would suspend a water treaty that allows for sharing the waters of the Indus river system between the two countries.

He said Pakistani nationals would be barred from travelling to India under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) visa exemption programme, and that Pakistanis using the visas have 48 hours to leave the country.

The defence advisers in the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi were declared persona non grata and asked to leave, Misri said, adding that the overall strength of the Indian high commission in Islamabad will be reduced to 30 from 55.