Pakistan Shuts Airspace For Indian Airlines, Pauses Simla Agreement

Pakistan is shutting down the Wagah border, suspending all SAARC visas for Indian nationals, and closing its airspace to Indian airlines, media reports said on Thursday, following a meeting chaired by the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Except for Sikh religious pilgrims, it has cancelled visas issued to Indian nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme. Other Indians, who are currently in Pakistan under the scheme, have been asked to leave within 48 hours.

This comes a day after India announced the suspension of Indus Water Treaty, prohibition of visa issuance for Pakistani nationals and downgrading of diplomatic ties with the neighbouring nation.

The action came after cross-border links were suspected in the terror attack on civilians in Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday. The attack claimed the lives of 26 tourists, including two foreign nationals.

India has also asked various Pakistani diplomats stationed in New Delhi to leave at the earliest. The country has also recalled several of its officials serving at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

The Attari-Wagah border in Punjab will be closed, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The actions were announced on Wednesday night, following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The meeting was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, among other officials.

The Indian government has vowed to crack down on the perpetrators of the gruesome attack, and also act against those who orchestrated it.

The responsibility for the fatal terror attack has been claimed by The Resistance Front, which, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, is an off-shoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The Pakistani government, which also called a meeting of high-ranking officials on Thursday, has denied its involvement in the attack.