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In the wake of the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead, India has revoked a key regional travel privilege for Pakistani citizens under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). The decision marks a significant escalation in India’s diplomatic response and is one of several high-level measures aimed at re-evaluating ties with Islamabad.
India Cancels SAARC Visa Privileges for Pakistani Citizens
On April 24, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that India has cancelled all SVES benefits for Pakistani nationals. “Any Pakistani citizen currently in India under this scheme has been asked to leave the country within 48 hours,” he said.
Furthermore, Misri confirmed that Pakistani nationals will no longer be permitted to travel to India under this scheme, and any previously issued SVES visas to them are now considered void.
This decision came during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting was attended by senior leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and other top officials.
What Is the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme?
Launched in 1992, the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) was designed to promote regional cooperation and ease cross-border movement within the South Asian region. The scheme allows citizens from SAARC member states—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—to travel to each other’s countries without a visa, if they fall under designated categories.
Those eligible under the scheme include:
- Dignitaries
- Judges of higher courts
- Parliamentarians
- Senior government officials
- Businesspeople
- Journalists
- Sportspersons
These individuals are issued special Visa Stickers, a travel document granted by the home country, which is then recognized by other SAARC members. These stickers are valid for one year, and each member state has the discretion to review the scheme’s implementation from time to time.
The original intent of SVES was to enable smoother, visa-free travel for 24 select categories of influential citizens to deepen mutual understanding and collaboration in the region.
Beyond the Visa Cancellation: India’s Other Measures Against Pakistan
India’s decision to suspend SVES access for Pakistan was not an isolated step. The CCS has rolled out a broader set of retaliatory actions following the Pahalgam incident:
- Severing Military-Diplomatic Ties: India has declared the Defence, Navy, and Air Advisors stationed at the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi as persona non grata. They have been ordered to leave within a week. India will also withdraw its own military advisors from Islamabad.
- Closure of Attari Integrated Check Post: The Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Attari Border in Amritsar, a key point of cross-border movement, has been shut with immediate effect.
- Indus Waters Treaty Put on Hold: In a sharp diplomatic signal, the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960—a long-standing agreement governing river water sharing between India and Pakistan—has been held in abeyance. According to Foreign Secretary Misri, the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
Also Read: What Is The Indus Waters Treaty—And Why Its Suspension By India Could Devastate Pakistan
