Pahalgam terror attack: Will Pak move international court against India? Shehbaz Sharif to chair top security body's meeting today

Pakistan’s national security committee headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will meet on Thursday after India announced a series of diplomatic measures against the neighbouring country over the gruesome Pahalgam terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attacks.

As per reports, Islamabad has denied any role in the terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Pakistan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar tweeted, “Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif @CMShehbaz has convened the meeting of the National Security Committee on Thursday morning 24th April 2025 to respond to the Indian Government’s statement of this evening.”

Dar told a regional channel that India’s reaction was a “political move” and Pakistan would give a befitting reply. Dar said India has not provided any evidence of the terrorist incident in Pahalgam and it was inappropriate to vent anger without evidence.

Dar told The Thursday Times that Pakistan rejects accusations against it and India has not provided any evidence. “The repeated reliance on unverified allegations undermines the credibility of India’s global narrative,” the publication quoted the foreign minister as saying.

India on Wednesday announced a slew of diplomatic measures including the suspension of the 1960 Indus water treaty and expulsion of defence advisors at Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

India announced the following measures against Pakistan in the wake of the attacks:

• 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.

• The integrated check post at Attari will be closed with immediate effect. Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before 01 May 2025.

• Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas. Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India.

• The Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions.

• The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by 01 May 2025.

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