India Shuts Attari-Wagah Border With Immediate Effect After Pahalgam Terror Attack

New Delhi: In a major and decisive move following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, the Government of India has ordered the immediate closure of the Attari-Wagah border, one of the most critical land crossings between India and Pakistan .

“The integrated checkpost Attari will be closed with immediate effect. Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before 1st May 2025”, said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri after a 2.5-hour-long CCS meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi . 

The action comes as part of heightened national security measures aimed at curbing cross-border threats and sending a strong message in response to the brutal assault that claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians.

The Wagah-Attari border near Amritsar in Punjab has long stood as both a symbolic and practical conduit for limited trade and people-to-people exchanges between India and Pakistan.

As the only road crossing accessible to civilian passengers, it represented a fragile thread of connectivity, now abruptly severed by the latest government directive.

The closure carries immense symbolic weight. This very crossing is where crowds gather every evening to witness a dramatic military display, with soldiers from both nations engaging in a synchronised, high-energy ritual that captures the essence of their enduring rivalry.

Since its inception in 1959, the daily ceremony has withstood countless diplomatic crises and border tensions, continuing almost uninterrupted as a rare constant in an otherwise volatile relationship.

In addition to shutting down the Attari-Wagah border, the Modi government announced a series of sweeping diplomatic and strategic measures aimed at Pakistan, marking a sharp escalation in bilateral tensions following the terror attack in Pahalgam.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, addressing the media outlined India’s firm stance against cross-border terrorism.

Chief among the announcements was the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — a foundational agreement governing the use of river waters between India and Pakistan since 1960. Misri made it clear that the treaty would remain in abeyance until Pakistan takes “credible and irrevocable” steps to dismantle terror networks operating from its soil.

In another decisive move, India has suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals. All previously issued Special Purpose Exemption Scheme (SPES) visas stand cancelled, and Pakistani citizens currently in India under this scheme have been given 48 hours to leave the country.

The government has also ordered the expulsion of Pakistani military personnel posted at the High Commission in New Delhi. Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors have been declared persona non grata and must leave the country within a week.

Reciprocating this move, India will withdraw its own Defence, Naval, and Air Advisors from its High Commission in Islamabad. These positions will be annulled in both missions, reflecting a deeper diplomatic disengagement and the widening trust deficit between the two nations. Taken together, the measures send a strong message of zero tolerance for terrorism and mark a new, harder edge in India’s Pakistan policy.