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India has summoned Pakistan’s senior-most diplomat in New Delhi, according to local media reports on Thursday, following its announcement of steps to downgrade diplomatic ties with Islamabad in response to a deadly militant attack in Kashmir.
The move came a day after suspected militants killed 26 people at a tourist spot in Kashmir—marking the deadliest attack on civilians in nearly 20 years. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that the attack had cross-border links and announced a suspension of the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty. He also revealed plans to shut down the sole land route between the two countries.
In addition, India will withdraw its defence attachés from Pakistan and reduce the number of personnel at its Islamabad mission from 55 to 30. Misri said all Pakistani defence advisers posted in India were declared persona non grata and given one week to depart.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened an all-party meeting on Thursday to update opposition leaders on the government's actions following the attack.
Meanwhile, in Islamabad, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to convene a national security committee meeting to formulate a response, as confirmed by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on X.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, divides the Indus River system between the two nations and governs water sharing. Despite past conflicts, the treaty had remained intact—until now. Misri announced that India would suspend its implementation.
Even prior to these developments, diplomatic relations between the two nuclear-armed nations were strained. Pakistan had previously expelled India’s envoy and refrained from appointing its own ambassador in New Delhi after India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status in 2019.
Tuesday’s attack is widely viewed as a blow to Prime Minister Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party, who had long touted the revocation of Kashmir’s special status as a step toward peace and development in the predominantly Muslim region.
