Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good evening friends. Thank you for coming at a short notice, and at this late hour for this Press Briefing. We have Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri to brief you on developments today. We are also joined by Shri M. Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary (PAI) in the Ministry of External Affairs. I would also like to let you know that we have pressing engagements following this press briefing. So we will not be in a position to take questions from you. We can do that subsequently.

With that, I give the floor to Foreign Secretary. Sir, over to you.

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Thank you, Randhir. Good evening. Thank you all for your patience and for joining at this relatively late hour. I have some prepared remarks that I will share with you, and as Randhir said, due to some preoccupations, we will not be able to take questions tonight.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met this evening under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister. The CCS was briefed in detail on the terrorist attack on 22 April 2025 in Pahalgam, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed. A number of others sustained injuries. The CCS condemned the attack in the strongest terms and expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the early recovery of the injured.

Strong expressions of support and solidarity have been received from many Governments around the world, which have unequivocally condemned this terror attack. The CCS recorded its appreciation for such sentiments, which reflect zero tolerance for terrorism.

In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in the Union Territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.

Recognizing the seriousness of this terrorist attack, the CCS decided upon the following measures:

(i) 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.

(ii) The Integrated Check Post Attari will be closed with immediate effect. Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before 01 May 2025.

(iii) 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 SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India.

(iv) The Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions.

(v) The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by 01 May 2025.

The CCS reviewed the overall security situation and directed all forces to maintain high vigil. It resolved that the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account. As with the recent extradition of Tahawwur Rana, India will be unrelenting in the pursuit of those who have committed acts of terror, or conspired to make them possible.

Thank you very much.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. With that we come to closure of this press briefing.

Thank you very much.

New Delhi
April 23, 2025