India blocks access to Pakistan govt's X account after Pahalgam attack

India retaliates after Pahalgam terror attack with sweeping measures - blocks Pak government's X account, suspends Indus Waters Treaty, expels diplomats, closes Attari border

India has blocked access to the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Government of Pakistan following the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. This move forms part of a broader set of retaliatory actions announced by New Delhi, which include the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the removal of senior Pakistani diplomats from India.

 

On Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to decide on India's course of action in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack. 

 

At a press conference later that evening, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri outlined several firm steps, including scaling down diplomatic representation in both nations. The Indian and Pakistani high commissions will each cut their staff strength from 55 to 30 by May 1.

 

Military advisors expelled from diplomatic missions

 

India has ordered the expulsion of all Pakistani defence, naval, and air advisors stationed at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. These personnel have been designated as persona non grata and instructed to leave within a week. India will similarly withdraw its own military advisors from its mission in Islamabad, along with five support staff from both sides.  Also Read: Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance after Pahalgam attack: What does this mean?

SAARC visa privileges cancelled

 

India has suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals, cancelling all previously issued visas under this programme with immediate effect.

 

The government has also decided to shut down the Integrated Check Post at Attari — the only active land border crossing between the two countries. Pakistani citizens who entered India legally through this route will be allowed to return before the May 1 deadline, Misri confirmed. 

 

Among the most significant announcements was the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, in effect since 1960. “The treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan can credibly and irrevocably abjure its support for cross-border terrorism,” Misri stated.

 

The high-level CCS meeting, which ran for over two hours, was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Ahead of the meeting, Defence Minister Singh vowed that the Pahalgam attackers would receive a "befitting reply", adding that India would also target those "who conspired behind the scenes".

 

(With agency inputs)