India downgrades ties with Pakistan after attack on Kashmir tourists

India unveiled a series of actions to reduce its relations with Pakistan on Wednesday, following an incident where suspected militants killed 26 individuals at a tourist spot in Kashmir. This marked the deadliest attack on civilians in nearly two decades in the country. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri revealed that the cross-border connections to the attack were highlighted at a special security cabinet meeting, leading to the decision to take steps against Pakistan.

As a result, India will immediately suspend a crucial river water treaty concerning the sharing of the Indus river system’s waters between the two nations. The defense advisors at the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi were deemed persona non grata and instructed to depart, with the Indian high commission in Islamabad being downsized from 55 to 30 staff members. Furthermore, the primary border crossing between the countries will be shut down, and Pakistani citizens won’t be permitted to travel to India using special visas.

The attack occurred on Tuesday in the Baisaran valley of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, leaving at least 17 individuals wounded and claiming the lives of 25 Indians and one Nepali. This incident disrupted the peace in Kashmir, where tourism had been thriving amidst a decrease in anti-India insurgency activities. A lesser-known militant group, the “Kashmir Resistance,” asserted responsibility for the attack, citing concerns about the influx of “outsiders” altering the region’s demographics.

Indian security agencies allege that the Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front, serves as a front for Pakistan-linked militant groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. Pakistan refutes claims of backing militant violence in Kashmir, stating it solely offers moral and diplomatic support to the insurgency.