India, Pakistan take reciprocal measures as tensions escalate after Kashmir attack

India and Pakistan have taken reciprocal measures, including the suspension of bilateral pacts and closing the only legally operating land border, after an attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people, Anadolu Agency reports.

New Delhi, on Wednesday, suspended its decades-old Indus Waters Treaty, under which two nuclear-armed neighbours regulate water share of six rivers on the Indus Basin.

Islamabad called the move “reckless” and warned any attempt by India to divert or stop water to Pakistan would be considered as an “act of war”.

Unidentified gunmen killed 26 people, including 25 tourists mainly Indians and one local resident, in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday.

Measures by India

New Delhi announced its unprecedented decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty after Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security.

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It also expelled Pakistani military advisers stationed at Islamabad’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi, and reduced the number of Pakistani diplomatic staff.

Visas issued to Pakistani citizens under the regional SAARC framework were also suspended.

On Thursday, New Delhi said visa service to Pakistan across all domains will be suspended, asking Indian citizens visiting its western neighbour to return home “at the earliest”.

New Delhi also closed the only operating land border at Wagah-Attari with Pakistan.

Simla pact put in abeyance

Pakistan retaliated on Thursday, stressing there was no provision to unilaterally suspend the water- sharing pact, which was mediated by World Bank and signed in September 1960.

However, Islamabad’s most significant step was to suspend Simla Agreement, a bilateral pact signed in 1972 which promotes bilateral dispute resolution and respect for the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region.The decisions were announced after Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, chaired a meeting of National Security Committee, which was attended, among others, by all service chiefs.

Islamabad mirrored New Delhi’s move against military advisers, by expelling Indian defence attaches and reduced diplomatic staff at the Indian mission in the Pakistani capital.

It also closed the border on its side of the Attari-Wagah crossing, and suspended all bilateral trade as well as any third-party business through Pakistan.

Islamabad also suspended visa service to all Indian nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, with the exception of Sikh religious pilgrims, and closed its airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated aircraft.

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