India ramps up pressure on Pakistan, asks nationals to leave

In a major diplomatic escalation following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, India has asked all Pakistani nationals to leave the country as it suspends all visa services to Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday that all valid visas issued to Pakistani citizens stand revoked effective April 27. Medical visas will remain valid only until April 29, giving affected individuals a brief window to exit the country.

Also Read: Pakistan knew about Pahalgam terror attack in advance, sparks outrage over ignored warning

“All Pakistani nationals currently in India must leave before the expiry of their visas, as now amended,” the MEA stated. This move is part of a broader response to the April 22 terror attack in Baisaran, Anantnag, which claimed 26 lives, including one Nepali citizen. The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the strike.

India has simultaneously downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan, expelling military attaches and suspending the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. It has also shut down the Attari land transit post and barred Pakistani travel under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme.

In retaliation, Pakistan blocked its airspace for Indian carriers, closed the Wagah border, and suspended bilateral trade. Islamabad also warned that any diversion of water under the Indus Treaty would be considered an act of war, further heightening regional tensions.