Expressing solidarity with India, many Sri Lankan politicians including President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and former President Ranil Wickremesinghe have expressed disapproval of the recent terror attack that occurred in the Pahalgam area in Kashmir, India.
Taking to the social media platform X, President Dissanayake said that while he condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in India, Sri Lankans' hearts are with the victims and their families. “Sri Lanka always stands in solidarity with the people of India,” he added.
Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former President Wickremesinghe stated that he is saddened and shocked to learn of the terror attack in Pahalgam, particularly targeting tourists, which claimed a number of lives and caused injuries. While condemning this crime, he extended condolences to Modi, the Government and the people of India, especially to the family members of the bereaved and wished those injured a speedy recovery. “Having endured a three-decade conflict of separatist terrorism in Sri Lanka, I share your empathy that violence is never a solution, as it only perpetuates pain and loss. This criminal act is a reminder of the detrimental impact of extremism, which needs to be concertedly addressed. I am confident that under your leadership, India's spirit is indestructible in this hour of distress, and will surge to overcome this tribulation completely. It is timely for us all in the international arena to also unite in building a future committed to a culture of peace. India's mastery will be invaluable to this end.”
These statements come in a context where India is seeking to take stringent measures against Pakistan in response to the attack which occurred on Tuesday (22), claiming 26 lives. According to Indian media outlets, a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, the Resistance Front, had claimed responsibility for the attack. India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has recently met in this regard. According to the Indian media outlet, the All India Radio News that quoted India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, the CCS has decided to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan with immediate effect. India has stated that it would remain suspended until Pakistan ‘credibly and irrevocably’ renounces support for cross-border terrorism. In addition, the CCS has decided to ban South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) visas for Pakistani nationals and has cancelled existing visas. With this, those currently in India under this visa type have been ordered to leave within 48 hours.
All defence, naval, military, and air advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi have been declared persona non grata and given one week to depart by the CCS. India will reciprocally withdraw its military attaches from Islamabad, effectively annulling these diplomatic roles.
Moreover, the CCS has decided that both nations’ diplomatic missions will reduce staff strength from 55 to 30 by 1 May.