India’s 5-Point Action Plan Against Pakistan After Pahalgam Terror Attack

India's 5-Point Action Plan Against Pakistan After the Pahalgam Terror Attack

📅 Date: April 24, 2025
📰 Category: Mains – Current Affairs & Strategic Events

🔥 Background: A Nation Shaken by Terror

On April 22, 2025, a brutal terrorist attack struck Pahalgam, one of the most beloved tourist destinations in Jammu & Kashmir, resulting in the loss of 26 innocent lives, including one foreign national from Nepal.

The early investigation by Indian intelligence agencies revealed clear cross-border links, pointing directly to terror outfits operating from Pakistani soil. The Indian government, treating the incident not just as another attack, but as a direct assault on its national sovereignty, decided to respond with a strong, structured and multi-layered strategy.

🛡️ The 5-Point Action Plan: India’s Strong Message to Pakistan

After an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), India unveiled a bold 5-point action plan to hold Pakistan accountable. These measures span across diplomatic, military, and strategic domains, and mark a significant shift in India’s foreign policy tone.

1️⃣    Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty

India took the unprecedented step of suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, a water-sharing agreement brokered by the World Bank in 1960.

• Under the treaty, India controls the eastern rivers (Beas, Ravi, Sutlej), while Pakistan controls the western ones (Indus, Chenab, Jhelum).

• The suspension is intended to pressure Pakistan diplomatically through water geopolitics — a domain previously considered off-limits.

This is the first time India has paused this historic agreement, signaling that cross-border terrorism will now have direct consequences.

2️⃣     Closure of the Attari-Wagah Border Checkpost

India closed the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP) — a key cross-border movement corridor between Amritsar (India) and Lahore (Pakistan).

• All cross-border trade and travel have been suspended until further notice.

• Pakistani nationals already present in India with valid documents are allowed to return by May 1, 2025.

This move not only halts civilian engagement but also impacts commerce and cultural exchanges between the two nations.

3️⃣    Cancellation of SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES)

India announced the suspension of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals.

• All active SVES visas were cancelled.

• Pakistani citizens present in India under this scheme have been ordered to leave within 48 hours.

This signals India's decision to disengage diplomatically with Pakistan within regional platforms as well.

4️⃣     Expulsion of Pakistani Military Advisors

In a sharp diplomatic strike, India declared all Pakistani military, naval, and air force advisors posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as Persona Non Grata.

• They have been expelled immediately.

• India is also withdrawing its own military advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

This tit-for-tat move sharply reduces military-to-military diplomatic engagement, a signal of worsening bilateral trust.

5️⃣    Reduction of Diplomatic Staff

India will cut down its diplomatic staff strength in Pakistan from 55 to 30 by May 1, 2025.

• This step significantly downgrades diplomatic presence, showing that India is moving from talks to action.

Such a measure typically indicates a country’s deep dissatisfaction and a desire to reset ties under stricter terms.

🌍 Pakistan’s Growing Diplomatic Isolation

India’s response must be viewed in the wider context of Pakistan’s geopolitical weakening on the global stage.

✋ Loss of U.S. Support

Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan’s strategic value for the West has decreased sharply.

• It no longer receives the military and economic support it once did.

• The U.S. is now focused on building stronger ties with India and "de-hyphenating" its policy approach towards South Asia.

🛢️ Gulf Nations Losing Patience

Countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE, historically generous toward Pakistan, have cut back financial aid due to:

• Lack of economic reform in Pakistan

• Frustration over repeated bailouts without results

🐉 China’s Trust Wavers

Despite heavy investments via CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor), China's patience is wearing thin:

• Projects are plagued by corruption

• Chinese engineers and workers have been targeted in terrorist attacks

• Result: Projects are stalled and China’s enthusiasm is fading

⚔️ Hostile Afghanistan

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan, once seen by Pakistan as offering “strategic depth,” has turned hostile.

• Border skirmishes and attacks have increased.

• Pakistan now faces threats on both its eastern and western fronts.

🔥 Tensions with Iran

Following attacks by Baloch militants, both Iran and Pakistan conducted retaliatory airstrikes on each other's territory.

• This marks a significant deterioration in Pakistan’s regional ties.

👁️ Islamabad’s Perception: India Is Growing in Confidence

Pakistani analysts believe that India is now asserting regional dominance with increasing confidence.

• The abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 signaled India’s firm stance on Kashmir.

• Record-breaking tourism and development in Kashmir since then has only strengthened India’s narrative of “normalcy”.

Moreover, high-level visits — PM Modi to Saudi Arabia, and US VP J.D. Vance visiting India while skipping Pakistan — reflect a shift in global perceptions.

💣 The Pahalgam Attack: A Desperate Provocation?

Many international observers suggest that this attack was a calculated move by Pakistan to regain attention in South Asian geopolitics.

• It attempted to remind the world that Pakistan remains a player in regional stability, even if through negative means.

• But this gambit seems to have backfired, pushing Pakistan into deeper isolation.

🎯 India’s Strategic Roadmap Ahead

🔒 Strengthening Internal Security

• A full security audit is underway to uncover operational lapses.

• India is involving the elected state government and local leaders to maintain peace.

• The priority is to ensure tourism and economic growth in Kashmir continue unhindered.

🧭 Diplomatic Assertiveness

• India is proactively engaging the global community to expose Pakistan’s role in cross-border terrorism.

• New Delhi is emphasizing that terrorism can never be a means of diplomacy.

🌱 Conclusion: Kashmir’s Development Is the Long-Term Goal

India’s ultimate objective remains peace, prosperity, and integration of Kashmir.

• Pahalgam-like attacks cannot derail the momentum toward stability.

• The focus will remain on creating opportunities, building infrastructure, and improving lives — not just responding with force.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Why did India launch the 5-point plan against Pakistan?
👉 Due to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people and was linked to Pakistan-based groups.

Q2. What are the key actions taken by India?
👉 Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, border closure, cancellation of SAARC visa scheme, expulsion of military advisors, and reduction in diplomatic staff.

Q3. Why is the Indus Waters Treaty suspension significant?
👉 It's the first time India has used water-sharing as a geopolitical tool to exert pressure on Pakistan.

Q4. How is Pakistan isolated internationally?
👉 Reduced support from the U.S., Gulf nations, China, and neighboring countries like Afghanistan and Iran.

Q5. What is India’s long-term strategy?
👉 Focus on Kashmir’s development, preventing politicization, and diplomatically isolating Pakistan.

✅ MCQ Practice for Exams

1. Why did India suspend the Indus Waters Treaty?
A. Water scarcity in India
B. Upcoming elections in Kashmir
C. To counter cross-border terrorism
D. Climate change concerns
✔️ Answer: C. To counter cross-border terrorism

2. What is the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme related to?
A. Trade benefits
B. Cultural exchange
C. Visa-free travel within SAARC
D. Military cooperation
✔️ Answer: C. Visa-free travel within SAARC

3. What is the reduced number of Indian diplomatic staff in Pakistan post-action plan?
A. 50
B. 30
C. 25
D. 15
✔️ Answer: B. 30

4. In which Indian state did the Pahalgam terror attack occur?
A. Himachal Pradesh
B. Punjab
C. Jammu & Kashmir
D. Ladakh
✔️ Answer: C. Jammu & Kashmir

5. What is India’s long-term priority in Kashmir?
A. Military operations
B. Border fencing
C. Diplomatic boycott
D. Development and peace
✔️ **Answer: D. Development and peace

🖊️ UPSC Mains Questions

1. Analyze the strategic significance of India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty in response to cross-border terrorism. Discuss the implications for India-Pakistan relations and regional geopolitics.

2. Assess the implications of the closure of the Attari-Wagah Border Checkpost and the cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme by India. How do these measures reflect India’s changing approach to diplomatic and security challenges in South Asia?

3. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of India's 5-point action plan in isolating Pakistan diplomatically. To what extent can such actions influence Pakistan’s behavior in the context of cross-border terrorism?

4. In the context of India’s 5-point action plan, examine the role of water diplomacy in international relations. How can India leverage the Indus Waters Treaty to strengthen its position in the ongoing dispute with Pakistan?