New Delhi, Apr 24: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday briefed the ambassadors of Germany, Japan, Poland, the UK, and Russia on the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Senior diplomats from the United States, the European Union, Italy, Qatar, Japan, China, Russia, Germany, and France were seen arriving at the Ministry of External Affairs in South Block, located in the heart of the national capital.
Misri provided a detailed update to envoys from G20 countries, including representatives from China and Canada, in a meeting that sources say lasted approximately 30 minutes.
This diplomatic outreach followed India’s announcement of a series of measures in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians lost their lives.
Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, “In continuation of the decisions made by the Cabinet Committee on Security in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India has decided to suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect.”
“All existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals stand revoked with effect from 27 April 2025. Medical visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be valid only till 29 April 2025,” the statement added.
Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid travelling to Pakistan. Those Indian nationals currently in Pakistan are also advised to return to India at the earliest,” as per the MEA.
Terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured, in one of the deadliest attacks in the valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.
Following the attack, India has taken strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.
In the CCS meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, India decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism and has closed the integrated Attari Check Post.
India has also declared the officials of the Pakistani High Commission as Persona Non Grata and ordered them to leave India within a week. The country further decided to cancel any visas provided under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and ordered Pakistan to leave the country within 48 hours.