India Expels Top Pakistani Diplomat, Declares Persona Non Grata in Wake of Pahalgam Terror Attack

April 24, 2025 New Delhi, India — In a swift and assertive diplomatic response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, the Indian government late Wednesday night summoned Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi, Saad Ahmed Warraich, and handed him a formal ‘persona non grata’ notice, ordering his expulsion from the country.

The move follows a high-level Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where India resolved to undertake decisive punitive measures against Pakistan for what it described as direct complicity in cross-border terrorism.

Top Pakistani Defense Staff Ordered to Leave India

Speaking to the media, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that India has declared Pakistan’s defense, naval, and air advisers posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as persona non grata, giving them one week to leave. In a reciprocal step, India will also recall its own military advisers from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

The persona non grata designation effectively bans foreign diplomats from residing or operating within the host country and is one of the strongest formal rebukes in diplomatic protocol.

Additional Measures: Border Closure and Visa Restrictions

Among the suite of countermeasures, the Indian government has also:

• Suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan pending irreversible action against cross-border terrorism.

• Closed the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP) effective immediately. Pakistani nationals currently in India via this route will be allowed to return only until May 1, 2025.

• Revoked all SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) privileges for Pakistani citizens. Existing visas are now invalid, and individuals in India under this program must leave within 48 hours.

• Reduced the Pakistani High Commission staff strength from 55 to 30 by May 1, 2025.

India Signals Zero Tolerance, High Alert Across Agencies

Foreign Secretary Misri reaffirmed that India will ensure accountability for the attack, both for the perpetrators and their state sponsors. The CCS reviewed national security preparedness and directed all agencies to remain on high alert across borders and urban centers.

These developments mark a sharp escalation in Indo-Pakistan relations, following what Indian officials describe as clear evidence linking Pakistan-based terror groups to the April 22 Pahalgam attack. The message from New Delhi is unambiguous: India will not tolerate state-sponsored terrorism and will respond through every available diplomatic and strategic channel.