Following the escalation of the conflict between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of Public Security says that in circumstances where no legitimate threat has been noted to public security within Sri Lanka, all citizens will be accorded equal protection and be able to enjoy equal freedoms under Sri Lankan law.
Amid the ongoing escalation of the crisis, an official from the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka reaffirmed India’s strong relationship with Sri Lanka.
“Our relationship has withstood the test of time and this was affirmed by the cordiality between our two Heads of State during their visits. It was also acknowledged by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his very recent visit to Sri Lanka. Therefore, our relationship will continue to remain strong,” the official said.
The Pakistani High Commission in Colombo declined to comment.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have sharply escalated following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals, including a foreign national.
In a decisive response, the Indian Government unveiled a comprehensive five-point action plan targeting Pakistan’s infrastructure, diplomatic presence, and cross-border activities. This move comes amid evidence suggesting cross-border links to militant groups operating from Pakistan.
As part of the action plan, India announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, a landmark agreement signed in 1960 that governs the sharing of river waters between the two countries. The suspension will remain in effect until India is convinced Pakistan has ceased its support for cross-border terrorism.
Additionally, the Indian Government shut down the Attari-Wagah border check post, halting all movement of people and goods. Individuals who have already crossed over with valid documents will be permitted to return by 1 May.
India also cancelled the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, revoking all previously issued visas under the programme and giving Pakistani nationals currently in India a strict 48-hour deadline to leave.
In a further diplomatic blow, India expelled all Pakistani military, naval, and air advisers stationed at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi, declaring them persona non grata and requiring them to leave the country within a week.
India will similarly withdraw its military advisers from its own High Commission in Islamabad.
Moreover, the Indian Government ordered a significant reduction in diplomatic staff, announcing that both the Indian and Pakistani High Commissions would cut their missions from 55 personnel to 30 by 1 May.
In retaliation, Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, convened an emergency session and termed India’s measures as “unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible, and devoid of legal merit”.
Responding with its own countermeasures, the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced the suspension of all trade with India and the closure of its airspace to Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines. The Wagah border crossing was also closed, effectively halting cross-border movement between the two countries.
Additionally, the Pakistani PMO declared that it would hold all bilateral agreements with India, including the Simla Agreement, in abeyance until India ceases what the Pakistani PMO described as its “manifested behaviour of fomenting terror inside Pakistan; trans-national killings; and non-adherence to international law and UN Resolutions on Kashmir”.
Prime Minister Sharif further warned that any Indian attempt to stop or divert the flow of water under the Indus Waters Treaty would be regarded as an “act of war”.
As diplomatic channels between the two nuclear-armed neighbours strain under the weight of rising hostility, the situation in South Asia remains precarious, with the potential for further escalation looming large.