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India continues to weigh its options, including military action, even as it took several steps to downgrade diplomatic ties with Pakistan after the deadliest attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.Following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Wednesday, foreign secretary Vikram Misri announced that the Indus Waters Treaty has been held in abeyance till Islamabad acts on terror organisations on its soil. A number of other diplomatic steps were announced that include declaring the Pakistani army, navy and air attachés as persona non grata and reducing Pakistani High Commission strength from 55 to 30. Visas for Pakistani nationals have been cancelled and the Wagah-Attari border has been closed.Defence minister Rajnath Singh vowed a resolute response to the attack that left at least 26 dead, after terrorists swarmed a popular tourist spot near Pahalgam town. He said the civilians were targeted for their religion and a strong response will be delivered in the “near future,” including to those involved in the conspiracy. 120562126“India cannot be intimidated by such terrorist activities. The people responsible for such acts will get a resolute reply in the near future,” the minister said. Misri said the CCS reviewed the overall security situation and has directed the forces to maintain high vigil. “It resolved that the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account,” he said. Misri added that as with the recent extradition of Tahawwur Rana, India will be unrelenting in the pursuit of those who have committed acts of terror, or conspired to make them possible.The government is also expected to call an all-party meeting on Thursday. As India looks to search out perpetrators of the attack, and a large-scale operation is on, all available evidence — including intelligence intercepts — is being examined to establish the chain of command. People familiar with the matter said there is a clear cross-border connection.Robust Military MightTwo of the four to five terrorists believed to be involved in the attack are suspected to be Pakistani nationals. The remaining received arms training in camps across the border. Misri also said the CCS has been briefed on the cross-border links and noted that the attack has come in the wake of successful elections in the Union Territory. Military options on the table include a suspension of the ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control (LoC) to punish Pakistani authorities that facilitate infiltration from terror launch pads.However, given the gravity of the attack – such large-scale violence on tourists is unprecedented – stronger options, such as targeting the leadership of terrorist groups that operate from Pakistan, will be under discussion, the people cited said. In the past two instances when Pakistan-based terrorist groups crossed the red line, Indian military action targeted terror launch pads and a training establishment. In 2016, after the Uri attack, the Indian Army carried out shallow strikes to take down launch pads where terrorists were housed before getting pushed across the border. In 2019, after the Pulwama attack, aerial strikes were carried out against a terrorist training camp in Balakot.This time, the military option could include targeting the headquarters and leadership of terrorist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is suspected to be behind the attack. In 2019, the option of hitting the well-protected LeT headquarters in Bahawalpur was discussed but taken off the table, with one consideration being the possibility of collateral, civilian damage, according to people in the know.With the Pahalgam attack, another line has been crossed, with civilians being targeted by terrorists suspected to be trained and commanded by aPakistan-based group. The defence minister said the conspirators behind the attack will not be spared. “We will not only reach those who have carried out this incident, we will also reach those who, sitting behind veils, have conspired to commit such nefarious acts on the soil of India,” Singh said.Other options include combined tri-services action against terrorist launch pads, training establishments and leadership operating across the border. Higher up the escalatory ladder are options such as limited border action for taking over and securing terrorist infiltration routes like the Haji Pir pass on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).India is much more prepared to act against terrorist groups in Pakistan than in 2019, given the addition of assets such as Rafale fighter jets, the S-400 air defence system and a range of stand-off weapons like loitering munitions, said people with knowledge of the matter. For instance, the Rafales, equipped with the 300 km-plus range SCALP ground attack missiles, can strike targets with pinpoint accuracy deep inside Pakistan, while still flying over Indian territory.DiplomacyAmong the steps taken, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty ends a unique 64-year-old watersharing agreement that has survived wars. The pact, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, governs the use of six rivers in the Indus Basin, with three allocated to each nation. Usage is heavily skewed in Pakistan’s favour and may not impact India.Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme visas. Pakistani nationals currently in India have been given 48 hours to leave India. The defence/military, naval and air advisers in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own military advisers from Islamabad.

India on Wednesday announced a slew of stringent diplomatic measures against Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack that left 26 dead."CCS condemned Pahalgam attack in strongest terms and expressed its deepest condolences to families of victims," said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.The Ministry of External Affairs' Secretary Misri announced during a press briefing that Pakistani visas will be cancelled while the Wagah-Attari border will be closed with immediate effect. Moreover, the Indus Waters Treaty between the two countries will also be suspended with immediate effect.Also Read | India pulls the plug on Indus Waters Treaty: What it means Here are key decisions:The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effectThe Integrated Check Post Attari will be closed with immediate effect. Those with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1, 2025.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.The Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions. The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by May 1, 2025.Also Read | Pahalgam attack: How trade, other ties will be impacted after India shuts Wagah-Attari route, cancels Pakistani SAARC visasA day after a dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which lasted over two hours. PM Modi cut short his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and returned to Delhi on Wednesday morning.What do initial investigations reveal? Initial investigations into the audacious terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 people indicate that the number of terrorists involved could range from five to seven, aided by at least two local militants who received training in Pakistan, officials said on Wednesday. According to the officials piecing together the available evidence, the role of Aadil Thokar alias Aadil Guree, a resident of Bijbehara, has emerged based on identification by the wife of one of the deceased tourists.Also Read | Pahalgam attack: India downsizes diplomatic ties with Pakistan; how will it impact embassy, defence personnel?Officials believe that Aadil Thokar crossed over to Pakistan in 2018 where he underwent armed training with the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit before infiltrating back into India to carry out attacks.The probe suggests that while four terrorists lined up the tourists at the Baisaran meadows on Tuesday before firing at them from a point-blank range, at least one to three terrorists were strategically positioned to maintain watch for any approaching security forces.The terrorists were carrying body cameras to record their barbaric act, the officials said quoting eyewitnesses.At least six to seven pictures were shown to eyewitnesses out of which one identified Aadil as the terrorist who was pulling the trigger, the officials said, adding after the incident the terrorists vanished into the thick pine tree jungles of Pir Panjal.The officials said that while dozens of people had been rounded for questioning, efforts had been scaled up to nab the actual perpetrators of the heinous crime.Security agencies also released the sketches of three men suspected to be involved in the terror attack. The men, all three Pakistanis, are Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha, officials said.They had code names -- Moosa, Yunus and Asif -- and were involved in terror-related incidents in Poonch.Police also announced a bounty of Rs 20 lakh for information leading to the neutralisation of terrorists involved in the gruesome killings.How will Indus Waters Treaty's suspension impact Pakistan?The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty could severely impact Pakistan, as the country heavily relies on the Indus river system for its water needs. Pakistan receives around 80% of the total water from this network, which includes the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers. These rivers are essential for irrigation, meeting nearly a quarter of Pakistan’s agricultural water demand. Since agriculture supports 68% of Pakistan’s rural population, any reduction in water availability could directly threaten food security and livelihoods. With major dams like Mangla and Tarbela providing only limited storage—just 10% of the annual water share—Pakistan lacks the capacity to store large amounts of water in case of shortages.Read more: India suspends Indus Waters Treaty: How it can hit Pakistan where it hurts most