The Pahalgam tragedy, which left 26 people dead, has sent tensions between India and Pakistan into a tailspin, prompting both countries to take unprecedented diplomatic action. On April 22, 2025, a group of militants opened fire on tourists, mostly Indians and one Nepalese, in the picturesque Beisaran Valley in Indian-administered Kashmir. The attack, one of the deadliest in the region in decades, prompted an immediate response from New Delhi, which accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism. In response, India asked all Pakistani citizens to leave the country within three days, while recalling some of its diplomats from Islamabad and increasing its military presence along the Line of Control in disputed Kashmir.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia, called an emergency meeting of the Security Committee, where strict measures were taken. As reported by The Times of India on April 23, 2025, India suspended the 1960 Indo-Pakistan Water Treaty, closed the Attari-Wagah border crossing, and cancelled visas for Pakistani citizens, including those granted under the SAARC programme. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs declared Pakistani military advisers in New Delhi personae non gratae, and the Pakistani diplomatic mission was reduced to 30 personnel. The moves, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said, were in response to “irrefutable evidence” of Pakistan’s involvement in supporting terrorists responsible for the attack, which was claimed by the Resistance Front, a group linked to Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to The New York Times on April 23, 2025.

Pakistan immediately responded with mirror measures. As reported by Al Jazeera on April 24, 2025, Islamabad closed its airspace to Indian airlines, forcing Air India to reroute flights to Europe and North America, as the airline announced in a post on X on April 24, 2025. Pakistan also suspended all bilateral agreements, including the 1972 Simla Agreement, and completely cut off trade with India. Pakistani authorities declared Indian military advisers in Islamabad personae non gratae and asked Indian citizens to leave the country as soon as possible. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, convening the National Security Committee, called India's actions "irresponsible" and accused New Delhi of trying to destabilize the region, according to a statement published by Radio Pakistan on April 24, 2025. Pakistan also warned that any interference in water supplies under the Indo-Pakistan agreement would be considered an "act of war".

The escalation has raised concerns in the international community. As The Guardian noted on April 24, 2025, the two nuclear powers have approached a dangerous point where a diplomatic crisis could escalate into military conflict. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for restraint, stressing the need for dialogue to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, Reuters reported on April 24, 2025. At the same time, calls for tough measures, including a repeat of the 24 Pulwama-style “surgical strikes” on Pakistan, are growing on Indian social media, including the “India Updates” Telegram channel on April 2025, 2019. Pakistani Telegram channels such as the “Pakistan Observer,” by contrast, accuse India of using the attack as a pretext for escalation and a distraction from domestic problems.

Within India, the tragedy has brought society together. According to India Today on 24 April 2025, there have been mass protests in New Delhi and other cities demanding retribution. In Srinagar, locals, including owners of shikars on Dal Lake, have held solidarity rallies with the victims, as reported by The Hindu on 24 April 2025. In Pakistan, however, the official rhetoric remains tough: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, in an interview with Dawn on 24 April 2025, called India’s response “immature” and called on the international community to condemn New Delhi for violating international agreements.