On 23 April 2025, a diplomatic crisis between India and Pakistan began.[3] It was sparked by the 2025 Pahalgam attack, an terrorist attack in the Baisaran Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 25 Hindu tourists, one Christian tourist and one local Muslim along with injuring over 20 others. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based, UN-designated terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba,[8] initially claimed responsibility for the attack.[9] In response, India accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism.
As a result, India initiated the expulsion of Pakistani diplomats and withdrawal of own diplomats, suspended visas, closed borders, and withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty,[1] while Pakistan denied the allegations and responded with trade restrictions, closure of airspace and border crossings and suspension of the Shimla Agreement.[3] India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) also strongly urged Indian citizens to avoid traveling to Pakistan, and called on those currently in the country to return at the earliest opportunity.[10]
On the night of 23 April, the Indian foreign secretaryVikram Misri held a special press briefing after a meeting with the CCS. He announced India's decision to temporarily suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan with immediate effect until Pakistan ceases its support for cross-border terrorism.[17] He further announced the closure of the integrated check post at Attari–Wagah Border, a travel ban for all Pakistani nationals to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, and cancellation of all previously issued visas. Additionally, Pakistani military advisers at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were expelled, while their Indian counterparts in Islamabad were withdrawn, and the staff strength of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was reduced from 55 to a minimum of 30. The posts of such military advisors were deemed abolished. [18][19]
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry expressed condolences to the families of the victims,[20] and its defense minister Khawaja Asif dismissed the allegations of his country's involvement in the attack and regarded such events as revolutions.[21][22] However, in an interview with the Sky News, while responding to allegations of terrorism, minister Asif said that Pakistan had engaged in terrorist activities at the direction of United States, Britain and the West going back three decades.[23][24]
Pakistan responded to the suspension of the treaty by describing it as inappropriate and lacking seriousness.[25] Pakistan also warned India of a comprehensive retaliation in response to the actions announced by the Indian government in the aftermath of the incident,[26] further stating that any action affecting water resources would be considered an act of war.[27][28] On 24 April, Pakistan suspended visas issued to Indian nationals and closed its airspace to Indian aircraft, expelled Indian diplomats and instructed Indian military advisers to depart the country no later than the 30 April.[29] However, the Kartarpur Corridor remained open for Sikh pilgrims.[30] Pakistan also cut off all trade with India.[31] Pakistan also suspended the Simla Agreement, on 24 April 2025 in retaliation.[32][33] The Attari–Wagah border ceremony was also reduced and the symbolic handshake did not take place.[34][35]
Between 24 and 29 April, Indian and Pakistani army engaged in skirmishes and exchanged small arms firing.[41][42][43][44] Reportedly, Pakistan army initiated "unprovoked small arms firing" across various sectors along the LOC. According to Indian Army statements, their forces responded "appropriately with small arms fire".[45][46][47]
On April 26, military engagements occurred in Udhampur district's Dudu Basantgarh area, where security forces confronted suspected militants. The confrontation resulted in two fatalities on the militants' side and one on the Indian Army.[45]
On 28 April, Pakistani Defense Minister Asif stated that an attack from the Indian armed forces was "imminent".[48]
After the suspension of the Indus Waters treaty 1960 on 23 April, local reports surfaced from Pakistan's Muzaffarabad on 26 and 27 April, stating that India had released water from the Uri Dam into the Jhelum River without notification causing flooding, high water levels and panic.[50][51]
United Nations urged both sides to have "maximum restraint" and to resolve the issues diplomatically.[52]
On April 25, the Islamic Republic of Iran proposed to mediate a solution aiming at de-escalation between Pakistan and India.[53]
Russia issued a travel advisory in April 2025, warning its citizens against traveling to Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The advisory cited increased security risks in the region. The United Kingdom also issued a similar warning around the same time, mainly referring to the LOC.[54], China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, urged for de-escalation between the two countries. [55]
The U.S. State Department updated its travel advisory, issuing a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" warning for India's Jammu and Kashmir, citing high risks of terrorism and civil unrest.[56] Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi confirmed it is closely monitoring the situation and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice, reaffirming its support for India's counterterrorism efforts.[57][58] Later on, on April 26, 2025, President Donald Trump downplayed the diplomatic crisis, stating that the two nations "had that fight for 1,500 years", despite the fact that the Kashmir Crisis started in 1947.[59]
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