India gives Pakistanis on SAARC Visa 48 hours to depart

Key Takeaways

• India ordered all Pakistanis on SAARC Visas to leave within 48 Hours after the Pahalgam attack.
• No new SAARC Visas will be issued to Pakistani nationals, closing a longstanding travel channel.
• India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and closed the Attari border following diplomatic fallout.

The Indian government has told all Pakistani nationals currently in the country on a SAARC Visa to leave within 48 Hours. This urgent order came after a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 tourists lost their lives. Indian authorities have directly linked the attackers to groups based in Pakistan 🇵🇰. As a result, India’s actions target not only the people on the SAARC Visa but also hit other important areas of the ongoing relationship between India 🇮🇳 and Pakistan 🇵🇰.

The Immediate Order: 48 Hours for Pakistanis on SAARC Visa

Soon after the attack, India 🇮🇳 made a clear decision. All Pakistani citizens present in India on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) now have only 48 Hours to leave the country. This message came directly from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, following an emergency meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri summed up the seriousness, stating, “Pakistani nationals currently residing in India under an SVES visa are required to depart from the country within 48 hours.” Officials stressed that this order covers every Pakistani with a valid SAARC Visa, leaving no exceptions.

The 48 Hours window is non-negotiable. It leaves those affected with little time to pack, arrange travel, and exit. The official statement makes it clear that any Pakistani national staying in India with this visa must comply with this order—failure to do so could result in legal action or forced removal.

What is the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme?

To understand why this order is important, it’s helpful to look at what the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) is and how it works. The SAARC Visa program started in 1992. Its main goal was to help people from South Asian countries travel to each other’s countries with fewer problems. The agreement wanted to make it easier for people to meet, work together, and do business by skipping some of the usual visa requirements.

People who could get the special visa sticker included members of parliament, top businesspeople, judges, journalists, and other well-known professionals. Instead of applying for a new visa every time they wanted to visit, eligible people could travel freely between SAARC countries using this sticker.

For Pakistanis, the scheme already had some restrictions even before this latest change. Only certain important people—like high-ranking diplomats or business leaders—were ever able to get the SAARC Visa sticker for India. VisaVerge.com’s investigation reveals that India has been careful with who it allows under the scheme, especially as relations with Pakistan have been tense for many years.

The 48 Hours Deadline: Practical Impact

The decision to cancel all current SAARC Visas for Pakistanis and order them to leave within 48 Hours has widespread effects. Here’s what it means for people involved:

• Pakistani Diplomats and Officials: High-level diplomats, military attaches, and other government employees will have to leave India, no matter their current business or diplomatic mission.
• Business Persons: Pakistanis in India under the scheme for trade events or business deals must immediately stop their work and prepare to go back.
• Journalists: Any Pakistani media workers covering events or working on stories in India will be required to leave, putting an abrupt end to their assignments.
• Legal and Judicial Representatives: Judges and lawyers present on SVES visas must also pack up and depart, potentially disrupting cross-border cases or seminars.
• Other Dignitaries: Any visiting guests under the scheme are also covered and must leave within the allotted time.

Because the 48 Hours rule applies to everyone in these categories, the effect is sudden and far-reaching.

No More SAARC Visas for Pakistanis

The order doesn’t only deal with people currently in India. Going forward, no new SVES visas will be given out to Pakistani nationals. In other words, the door to India under the SAARC Visa is now closed for all Pakistanis—whether they are politicians, business leaders, students, journalists, or any other category that used to qualify.

This permanent ban on new SAARC Visas disrupts long-standing people-to-people exchanges. Over the years, even as India 🇮🇳 and Pakistan 🇵🇰 have faced diplomatic problems, both countries kept exchanging officials and special guests using the SAARC Visa system to keep some lines of communication open. With this step, not just individuals but regular cooperation between the two countries gets a serious setback.

What is SAARC?

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a group of eight countries in South Asia. These countries—India 🇮🇳, Pakistan 🇵🇰, Bangladesh 🇧🇩, Sri Lanka 🇱🇰, Nepal 🇳🇵, Bhutan 🇧🇹, Maldives 🇲🇻, and Afghanistan 🇦🇫—set up the group to improve trade, cooperation, and friendly relations. The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) was part of these efforts to help member countries work together more easily.

The idea was that by making travel easier, SAARC countries could share knowledge, do more trade, and understand each other better. Sadly, political and security events often shake up these plans, especially between India and Pakistan. Now, with India cancelling all SAARC Visas for Pakistanis, one of the group’s most important bridges has fallen.

Other Major Steps Against Pakistan

The visa order is just one part of a larger reaction from India 🇮🇳 following the attack in Pahalgam. Along with telling Pakistanis on the SAARC Visa to leave within 48 Hours, India has taken several other tough steps:

• Indus Waters Treaty Suspended: The treaty that allows both countries to share important river water is now on hold. This marks a deep change, as the treaty has been a pillar of their relationship for decades.
• Attari-Wagah Border Closed: The main land border crossing between the two countries is closed to all movement. Goods, travelers, and trade now face a full stop at this key checkpoint.
• Diplomatic Staff Reduced: Both countries are cutting down their high commission (embassy) staff numbers from 55 to 30 by May 1. Also, military and defense advisors on both sides have to leave.
• Military Ties Severed: Defense officials from both countries have been declared persona non grata—essentially “not welcome”—and must leave immediately.

These actions show just how seriously India is taking the events in Pahalgam and the links it sees between Pakistan and the attack.

Why These Steps? The Indian Government’s Message

Indian leaders, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, want to make it clear that strong steps will follow any attack from groups seen as being supported by Pakistan 🇵🇰. The decision to cancel the SAARC Visa for Pakistanis and enforce a 48 Hours deadline is intended to show zero tolerance for terrorism.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has stressed that these measures are diplomatic—but also a warning. The idea is to push Pakistan to take real action against militant groups. Officials say they hope to keep regular people safe and encourage Pakistan to fulfill its duties under previous peace deals.

What’s at Stake? Impacts on Different Groups

For Pakistani Nationals in India

The hundreds of Pakistanis currently in India on a SAARC Visa will have to leave very quickly. This could mean canceled meetings, sudden stops to joint projects, loss of work opportunities, and families forced to split up with little time to plan. The short 48 Hours window is likely to cause stress, confusion, and urgent travel bookings.

For Diplomats, Journalists, and Business Leaders

Diplomatic missions, reporting assignments, and business work that took months to arrange will come to an awkward halt. For diplomats, the loss of on-ground access makes it harder to keep dialogue alive. For businesses, trade and investment plans may face delay or cancellation.

For Broader India-Pakistan Relations

This is not the first falling-out between the two countries, but the steps taken now are some of the strongest in recent years. Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the closure of the Attari border impact everything from water security to travel and trade. Families who are split across the border will face even harder challenges meeting each other.

For SAARC and Regional Ties

SAARC was set up to bring countries in South Asia closer. Cutting off the visa program for Pakistanis weakens one of its core purposes: easy and peaceful movement of people. Other SAARC countries may watch nervously, worried that similar sudden moves could hit regional programs and exchanges in the future.

The History: SAARC Visas Between India and Pakistan

Before these new changes, the reality was already tricky. While the SAARC Visa program hoped to make travel effortless, India often limited access for Pakistanis. Only top-level people—diplomats, parliament members, or certain business leaders—could get it, and only for specific reasons. This was mostly because of security fears and repeated tension at the border.

Even so, every new trade show, press event, or legal summit where people could cross borders was a small step forward for SAARC’s mission. Now, with these steps, one of the last travel channels between India and Pakistan has been closed.

What Happens Next?

The 48 Hours order is in place and being enforced. Those who don’t leave in time risk legal trouble or even forced removal. The Indian authorities are working with local police and airports to make sure departures are monitored.

Pakistani officials have expressed concern over the sweeping moves, while some international groups have called for both sides to seek calm and avoid actions that could hurt regular people or ongoing humanitarian work.

People affected might wish to consult official government guidance, such as the detailed explanations found on the Ministry of External Affairs’ Bureau of Immigration website, to better understand the rules and procedures for departure.

Controversies and Different Viewpoints

Actions like cancelling visas at short notice can be controversial. Critics say that innocent people—students, business visitors, journalists—can get caught up in diplomatic rows which are not their fault. Some argue that it is unfair for a whole group of people to suffer because of the actions of a few.

On the other hand, Indian authorities stress that strong security responses are needed to keep the nation safe. They point out that each country has a right to protect its own borders and to send a message after such a serious attack.

In addition to balancing safety and freedom of movement, some groups worry that these steps will make it even harder to repair India-Pakistan relations in the long run.

Long-Term Effects

This 48 Hours evacuation order for Pakistanis on a SAARC Visa may have long-term results. It puts up new barriers and adds to mistrust between two neighbors who already have a complex relationship.

• Future exchanges of culture, experts, or business may become harder to arrange.
• People with family on both sides may need to go through more paperwork or wait longer to visit.
• SAARC’s vision of greater regional unity takes a real setback.

Meanwhile, the security situation along the India-Pakistan border could stay tense, as regular diplomatic channels are reduced and contact between everyday citizens gets weaker.

Summary Table: Actions After the Pahalgam Attack

Key Takeaways

• After a deadly terrorist attack linked to Pakistan, India has cancelled all SAARC Visas for Pakistanis and ordered them to leave within 48 Hours.
• No Pakistani nationals will be given new SAARC Visas, closing a key travel option between the two countries.
• Other tough steps—like suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and closing the Attari border—show a sharp fall in relations.
• The actions cause sudden change for individuals, businesses, and the broader South Asian region.
• Critics worry about the humanitarian effects, but Indian authorities stress the need for strong security measures.

For those affected or interested in visa rules, checking the official Bureau of Immigration India website provides up-to-date information. As this story develops, more changes could follow that would affect travel, ties, and trust between India and Pakistan.

As reported by VisaVerge.com, these steps underline how quickly international travel rights can change during diplomatic or security crises. Everyone with interests in the region will be watching what happens in the days and weeks ahead.

Learn Today

SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) → A visa program allowing certain South Asian nationals, like diplomats and business leaders, to travel freely among member states.
Indus Waters Treaty → A longstanding agreement between India and Pakistan to share and manage water resources of several major rivers.
Diplomatic Staff Reduction → Measures reducing the number of embassy and high commission employees, often in response to political or security tensions.
Attari-Wagah Border → The main land crossing between India and Pakistan, crucial for travel, trade, and separated families.
Persona Non Grata → A diplomatic term meaning a person, especially a foreign official, is no longer welcome in the host country.

This Article in a Nutshell

A sudden order from India requires all Pakistanis on SAARC Visas to exit within 48 Hours after a deadly attack. No new SAARC Visas will be granted. Additional steps—including closing borders and suspending treaties—signal deepening tensions and lasting impacts on cross-border travel, diplomacy, trade, and regional cooperation.
— By VisaVerge.com

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