India-Pakistan Tensions Spiral After Pahalgam Attack: Steps Each Side Has Taken So Far
Diplomatic expulsions, visa suspensions, airspace threats and treaty disputes — tensions have sharply escalated as both nations trade blow for blow.
In a swift and uncompromising response to the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead—majority of them Hindus—the Modi government launched a series of sharp retaliatory actions against Pakistan. The attack, among the deadliest in Kashmir in recent years, has pushed already-fraught bilateral relations into an open spiral, marked by tit-for-tat measures, hardened rhetoric, and a suspension of nearly all diplomatic and civilian linkages.
India’s reaction has been multi-dimensional. From expelling military diplomats and reviewing the Indus Waters Treaty to suspending visa services for Pakistani nationals, the Modi government has made it clear that business-as-usual is no longer an option. Officials described the response as “calibrated but firm"—designed to impose political, strategic, and symbolic costs on Islamabad. The message: India will no longer absorb cross-border terrorism with mere condemnation or appeals for peace.
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Islamabad, in turn, has responded with a set of countermeasures, some of which directly mirror New Delhi’s—such as capping diplomatic strength and evicting Indian military advisers—while others, like the closure of the Wagah border crossing and suspension of airspace access, indicate a willingness to escalate. Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accused India of acting in a “politically motivated and legally untenable" manner, even as it expressed “concern" over the loss of lives in the Pahalgam attack.
The diplomatic chill, which has been deepening since the 2019 Pulwama bombing and the subsequent Balakot airstrikes, has now entered a new phase—one marked not just by stand-offs, but by the systematic dismantling of what little remained of bilateral engagement.
INDIA’S RESPONSE: MULTI-LAYERED PRESSURE
India’s measures have spanned every available domain of pressure—diplomatic, infrastructural, and symbolic.
PAKISTAN’S COUNTER: RETALIATION AND REPROACH
After India’s string of announcements, Pakistan rolled out its own set of actions and warnings, many of which directly mirror India’s steps—signalling a deliberate escalation rather than de-escalation.
INDIA-PAKISTAN TENSIONS: ACTION-REACTION SNAPSHOT POST-PAHALGAM
| Issue | India’s Move / Statement | Pakistan’s Counter / Statement |
| Diplomatic Expulsions | Expelled Pakistan’s Defence, Naval, and Air Advisors; capped Pakistan HC staff strength. | Declared India’s Defence, Naval, and Air Advisors persona non grata; capped Indian HC staff to 30. |
| Land Border / Transit | Closed the Attari-Wagah land crossing; advised Indian nationals in Pakistan to return. | Closed Wagah-Attari land crossing; ordered Indian nationals to exit by April 30. |
| Visa Policy | Suspended all visa services for Pakistani nationals on April 24; revoked all existing visas effective April 27; medical visas honoured until April 29. | Cancelled visas for Indian nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, except for Sikh pilgrims; gave Indian nationals 48 hours to exit. |
| Airspace | Reviewing Pakistani overflight access; no formal announcement yet. | Closed airspace to Indian-owned or operated airlines. |
| Trade | Trade has remained suspended since Pulwama 2019; no fresh measures taken. | Declared that all trade with India, including through third countries, is suspended “until further notice." |
| Water Sharing (Indus) | Initiated review of the Indus Waters Treaty; said Pakistan’s continued use of terror invalidates cooperative agreements. | Accused India of “weaponising water"; warned such actions would amount to an “act of war." |
| Military Representation | Withdrew Indian military attachés from Islamabad. | Expelled Indian military advisors from Pakistan. |
| Terror Attack Attribution | Held Pakistan-backed groups responsible for Pahalgam; MEA called Pakistan’s response “evasive, inadequate, and politically driven." | Condemned the attack but termed India’s response “unilateral and lacking legal basis." |
| Multilateral Forums | Urged action from UNSC and FATF; began outreach to key allies to corner Pakistan on terror finance. | Accused India of “internationalising" bilateral disputes; called for “neutral international mediation." |
India has made it unequivocally clear: the age of strategic forbearance is over. From halting visa access to cutting off water diplomacy, the Modi government is demonstrating that acts of terror will no longer be met with restraint or ritual condemnation. Instead, New Delhi is mounting a sustained and comprehensive offensive—politically, diplomatically, and symbolically—aimed at imposing costs on Pakistan’s state apparatus and its support structures for cross-border militancy.
This is no longer a reactive policy, it is a realignment. Pakistan’s retaliatory posturing, far from deterrent, has only served to validate India’s position that talks and terror cannot co-exist. As backchannels fall silent and escalation becomes the new normal, the region is staring at a hard freeze. But for India, the message to both Islamabad and the international community is clear: security, not symbolism, will define the new terms of engagement.
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