Pahalgam Terror Attack: India Cancels SAARC Visa Exemption for Pakistani Nationals
Mumbai: In a continued and intensified response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has officially revoked the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) benefits for all Pakistani nationals. Also Read: Pahalgam Terror Attack: India Suspends Indus Waters Treaty With Pakistan
Effective immediately, Pakistani citizens will no longer be permitted to enter India under the SVES framework. Furthermore, any SVES visas already issued to Pakistani nationals have been rendered invalid. The government has also directed all Pakistani citizens currently residing in India under this visa scheme to leave the country within 48 hours. Also Read: India Closes Attari-Wagah Border, All Armed Forces To Maintain High Vigil
The move is the latest in a string of stringent diplomatic and strategic actions taken by India following what authorities have described as a cross-border coordinated terror strike. Among the victims was a citizen of Nepal, further underscoring the regional implications of the attack.
Officials said the decision is intended to prevent potential exploitation of regional agreements like the SVES and to plug any vulnerabilities that could threaten national security.
The SVES revocation follows India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the closure of the Attari Integrated Checkpost (ICP), marking a significant shift in India’s posture toward its western neighbor.
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