Pakistan on Thursday "vehemently rejected" India's decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 as a retaliatory measure to the deadly militant attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
Following a National Security Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to formulate the country's response to India's measures, Pakistan stated that the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty would block the "lifeline for 240 million Pakistanis."
"Any threat to Pakistan's sovereignty and to the security of its people will be met with firm reciprocal measures in all domains. India should refrain from its reflexive blame game and cynical staged, managed exploitation of incidents like Pahalgam to further its narrow political agenda," the Pakistan Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
"Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty, and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an Act of War and responded with full force across the complete spectrum of National Power," the statement said.
In another significant announcement, Pakistan said it "shall exercise the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India, including but not limited to the Simla Agreement in abeyance till India desists from its manifested behaviour of fomenting terrorism inside Pakistan; trans-national killings; and non-adherence to international law and UN Resolutions on Kashmir."
Islamabad also blocked the airspace for Indian airlines and closed the Wagah border crossing, in a tit for tat response to India's measures a day before. It also suspended 'all trade' routes with India, including those through third countries.
"Pakistan shall close down the Wagah Border Post, with immediate effect. All cross-border transit from India through this route shall be suspended, without exception. Those who have crossed with valid endorsements may return through that route immediately but not later than 30 April 2025," the statement read.
Pakistan also suspended visas issued to Indian nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) except for Sikh religious pilgrims.
"Indian nationals currently in Pakistan under SVES are instructed to exit within 48 hours, less Sikh pilgrims," the PMO said.
Meanwhile, India on Thursday announced suspending visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect from April 27.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said all existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals stand revoked with effect from April 27. It said medical visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be valid only till April 29.
The MEA said all Pakistani nationals currently in India must leave the country before the expiry of their visas.
It also strongly advised Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Pakistan and advised those currently in the neighbouring country to return home at the earliest.
India on Wednesday downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and announced a raft of measures including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.
"Recognising the seriousness of this terrorist attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security decided upon the following measures. The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday.
The punitive measures against Pakistan were decided at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
(With inputs from PTI)
