On April 23, 2025, a devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, resulted in the deaths of 27 individuals, including 25 Indian tourists and a Nepalese citizen, with 17 others injured. The assault, claimed by the previously unknown group “Kashmir Resistance,” is considered the deadliest targeting civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Indian authorities suspect the group to be a front for Pakistan-based organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen .​

In response, India has taken several significant actions:​

• Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT): India has put the 1960 treaty in abeyance, halting the annual supply of approximately 39 billion cubic meters of water from rivers like the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab to Pakistan. This marks the first suspension of the treaty, which had previously withstood three wars between the two nations .
• Diplomatic Measures: India has downgraded diplomatic relations with Pakistan, expelling Pakistani military advisers, reducing diplomatic staff, and imposing travel restrictions .​
• Border Closure: The main land border crossing at Attari has been closed, and visa exemptions for Pakistani citizens have been revoked .​

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cutting short his visit to Saudi Arabia, returned to India to address the crisis. He, along with Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah, has vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. International leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, have condemned the attack and expressed support for India .​

The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is particularly significant, as nearly 90% of Pakistan’s irrigation relies on water from the Indus basin. Pakistan has criticized India’s move, labeling it as an act of “water warfare” .​

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