India suspends visa services to Pakistani nationals, revokes existing visas after Pahalgam terror attack

After downgrading diplomatic ties with Pakistan, India on Thursday decided to suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect in view of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The decision came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers involved in the Pahalgam attack.

The measure follows several steps taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Tuesday, which resolved that the perpetrators of the gruesome attack that killed 26 people, including two foreigners and two locals, will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account.

Pahalgam Terror Attack LIVE

“In continuation of the decisions made by the Cabinet Committee on Security in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India has decided to suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect,” said the Ministry of External Affairs.

It added that all existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals stand revoked with effect from April 27, 2025. However, medical visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be valid until April 29, 2025.

“All Pakistani nationals currently in India must leave India before the expiry of visas, as now amended,” said the MEA.

The ministry also strongly advised Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Pakistan and said, “Those Indian nationals currently in Pakistan are also advised to return to India at the earliest.”

On Wednesday, announcing several steps to retaliate against the terror attack, India announced that 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,” said the government after the CCS meeting.

Among other decisions, India suspended the Indus Water Treaty and announced the closure of the integrated checkpost at Attari.

India will be withdrawing its own defence, navy and air advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.