New Delhi [India]: In the wake of the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated sharply. As a result, the official account of the Government of Pakistan on X (formerly Twitter), @GovtofPakistan, has been withheld in India.
Users attempting to access the account within India are now met with a message indicating that the handle has been withheld in response to a legal demand.
The move follows the deadly terror attack on April 22, where 26 people—mostly tourists—were gunned down in the scenic Baisaran meadow area of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir. Several others were injured in the brutal assault, which has sent shockwaves across the nation.
In response to the attack, the Government of India has taken stringent diplomatic and security actions against Pakistan, citing its ongoing support for cross-border terrorism.
At a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, several key measures were announced:
- The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 has been put on hold, pending credible and irreversible steps by Pakistan to renounce terrorism.
- The Integrated Check Post at Attari has been closed with immediate effect.
- All visas issued under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals are cancelled, and those currently in India under the scheme have been ordered to leave within 48 hours.
- India has declared Pakistani Defence, Naval, and Air Advisors in New Delhi persona non grata, giving them a week to exit the country.
- In a reciprocal move, India will withdraw its own Defence, Navy, and Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These diplomatic positions are now considered annulled.
- Additionally, five support staff linked to the Service Advisors will be withdrawn from both countries’ missions.
- By May 1, 2025, the total staff strength in both high commissions will be reduced from 55 to 30.
Addressing the press, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated, “These steps have been taken to deliver a strong and unequivocal message to Pakistan. India will not tolerate the continued sponsorship of terrorism. The perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack and their sponsors will be held to account.”
The digital and diplomatic clampdown underscores India’s growing resolve to curb cross-border terrorism and hold those responsible accountable.