The Pakistani Prime Minister's Bold Moves and India's Intense Response
Escalating Border Disputes: Tension Spikes Between Pakistan and India Following Incident in Kashmir
In a dramatic turn of events, the Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced on April 24 that Pakistan would shut its border and airspace with India. This decision comes after a vicious attack in Kashmir on April 23, where gunmen shot 26 Indians and a Nepalese national, sparking outrage and escalating tensions between the two nations.
Shehbaz Sharif had earlier presided over a crucial national security committee meeting, following India's accusation that Pakistan was supporting cross-border terrorism. In an unexpected turn, Pakistan also decided to expel Indian diplomats, halt Indian visas, and consider any water diversion attempt from the Indus River an "act of war."
Also worth reading: In the Shadow of the Kashmir Attack: Fears of Escalation Looming between India and Pakistan
In a retaliatory move, India previously ordered all Pakistani citizens to leave the country by April 29. Regular visas expire on April 27, and medical visas on April 29.
On Tuesday, the attack took place in the town of Pahalgam. The assailants targeted tourists, making it the deadliest civilian attack since 2000 in the majority-Muslim, Indian-controlled region. As of now, the attack has remained unscheduled.
The Demise of the Indus Waters Treaty
During the government meeting, Pakistan declared its intention to expel Indian diplomats, halt Indian visas, and view any Indian attempts to alter water flow from the Indus River as an "act of war." The following day, New Delhi announced it would renounce the Indus Waters Treaty, a treaty signed in 1960 that governs water sharing between these neighbors.
Pakistan will be summoning the Indian Embassy on Thursday, Vice-Premier Minister Ishaq Dar, the primary diplomat, announced. "India is conducting a low-intensity war against us, and if they want to escalate, we are ready. To protect our land, we will resist any international pressure," Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif added.
On Wednesday, the Indian ultranationalist Hindu government revealed a series of diplomatic retaliatory measures, including the suspension of a water-sharing treaty, the closure of the primary land border crossing between the two nations, and the recall of diplomats.
"I vow to the world: India will identify, hunt down, and punish terrorists and those who support them. We will pursue them to the ends of the earth," declared Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a public speech in Bihar (Northeast). "I state plainly: those who carried out this attack and those who planned it will pay a price far beyond their comprehension," he asserted.
Tilting the Scales of Justice
"It's time to reduce to ashes the last remnants of territory still controlled by these terrorists," he continued. "The strength and resilience of India's 1.4 billion people will break the backbone of these terrorists." "Terrorism will not go unavenged," Prime Minister Modi concluded in English. "All efforts will be made to ensure justice is served."
Several foreign leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the United States under Presidents Donald Trump and Senator Marco Rubio, have expressed their condolences to Prime Minister Modi.
In response to the attack, the police have sketched three suspects, including two Pakistani nationals, who are believed to be members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed 166 lives.
The Kashmir region was partitioned between India and Pakistan in 1947, with both nations still staking claims to sovereignty over the region. Since 1989, clashes between a separatist insurgency and Indian troops have led to tens of thousands of deaths. In Pakistani Kashmir, large protests took place on Thursday, advocating for armed struggle to annex the entire region to the Islamic Republic.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association reported that many Kashmiri students have been intimidated and assaulted across India since Tuesday's attack, being falsely accused as "terrorists." The association's president, Nasir Khuehami, denounced this targeted propaganda campaign.
[1] Enrichment Data - Relevant sources have been cherry-picked to illuminate the events and their potential implications:
- India expels Pakistan's diplomats, suspends visas (April 25, 2025). Link to Article
- India suspends Indus Waters Treaty for the first time since its signing (April 24, 2025). Link to Article
- Pakistan orders closure of airspace for Indian planes (April 24, 2025). Link to Article
- The Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced on April 24 that Pakistan would shut its border and airspace with India, amidst reports of Northeastern India's Kashmir region witnessing war-and-conflicts, following an attack on April 23 that left 26 Indians and a Nepalese national dead.
- In a retaliatory move, India ordered all Pakistani citizens to leave the country by April 29, as some visas, including regular visas and medical visas, were set to expire on April 27 and April 29 respectively.
- The attack on the majority-Muslim, Indian-controlled region of Kashmir, claimed by Lashkar-e-Taiba suspects, marked one of the deadliest civilian attacks since 2000 in the region that was partitioned between India and Pakistan in 1947.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to identify, hunt down, and punish terrorists associated with the attack, warning that any international pressure to halt this pursuit would be met with resistance.
- Facing international politics and crime-and-justice implications, several foreign leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the United States under Presidents Donald Trump and Senator Marco Rubio, expressed their condolences to Prime Minister Modi.
