India briefs envoys on Pak terror links

+Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

India has intensified its diplomatic response to Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, briefing foreign envoys, including China, on the cross-border connections of the attackers. The government has revoked visas for Pakistani nationals in India, advising Indian citizens against traveling to Pakistan.

NEW DELHI: India stepped up its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan on Thursday, briefing foreign envoys, including the Chinese ambassador, about the cross-border linkages of the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack. In addition to the spate of measures it announced on Wednesday to block all contacts with Pakistan, the govt also asked all Pakistanis in India to leave the country saying their Indian visas would stand revoked with effect from April 27.

Medical visas too will remain valid only till April 29. “All Pakistani nationals currently in India must leave India before the expiry of visas, as now amended,” the external affairs ministry said. However, the govt clarified later in the evening that the revocation of visas will not apply to long-term visas already issued to Hindu Pakistan nationals, and these will remain valid. The govt also strongly advised Indian nationals to not travel to Pakistan and those already there to return immediately. India had on Wednesday cancelled visas to Pakistani nationals under the Saarc Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).

According to official sources, foreign secretary Vikram Misri briefed the envoys of around 25 countries, including all member-states, and underlined India’s zero-tolerance policy on cross-border terrorism. Others were mostly envoys of G20 and Gulf countries. In the briefing, which was held shortly after PM Narendra Modi said India will pursue the attackers and their handlers “to the ends of the Earth”, the Indian side told the ambassadors that this was the biggest terror attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks and that India was determined to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The govt also recalled the 2000 Chittisinghpura massacre of Sikhs in Anantnag by Pakistan-based terror group LeT, on the eve of then US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India, to stress the point about how the attack was masterminded from across the LoC to draw international attention. US Vice President J D Vance was in India and PM Modi was travelling to Saudi Arabia when the tourists were targeted in Pahalgam. Modi was forced to cut short his visit to Jeddah and return the next morning after his meeting with Crown Prince and PM Mohammed bin Salman.

The briefing brought back memories of developments in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack that saw then foreign secretary Vikram Gokhale apprising foreign diplomats about Pakistan’s role in the attack. This was preceded by India summoning the Pakistani high commissioner to ask him to ensure that Islamabad took verifiable action against those who carried out the bombing that resulted in the death of 40 CRPF personnel. Unlike last time though, India also briefed the Chinese ambassador about Pakistan’s links with the Pahalgam attack. This follows the recent improvement in bilateral ties, although India remains wary about China’s support in the past to Pakistan on issues related to terrorism.

End of Article