Pakistan suspends all trade with India, closes airspace
An Indian paramilitary trooper stands guard on the shores of Dal Lake in Srinagar on April 24, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Pakistan announced sweeping retaliatory measures against India on Thursday, including suspending all trade, closing its airspace to Indian airlines, and expelling Indian military advisors, while warning that any attempt to stop water flow from the Indus River would be considered “an act of war.”
“Pakistan declares the Indian Defense, Naval, and Air Advisors in Islamabad persona non grata. They are directed to leave Pakistan immediately,” read a statement released by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office following a rare national security committee meeting.
The Pakistani government also announced the immediate closure of its airspace to all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines and the suspension of bilateral trade, escalating the diplomatic crisis between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Water dispute emerges as flashpoint between nuclear neighbors
Most forcefully, Pakistan issued a stark warning regarding water resources shared under the Indus Waters Treaty, which India had suspended a day earlier.
“Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty… will be considered as an act of war and responded to with full force across the complete spectrum of national power,” the statement declared.
The diplomatic crisis erupted after India accused Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism” following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people. Indian authorities claim two Pakistani nationals were among the three alleged gunmen involved in the attack.
India had already announced several punitive measures, including the suspension of the water-sharing treaty, closure of the mainland border crossing, downgrading of diplomatic ties, and withdrawal of visas for Pakistanis.
Modi vows to pursue perpetrators ‘to the ends of the Earth’
Pakistan’s countermeasures leave limited diplomatic channels between the two countries, with visa exceptions granted only to Sikh pilgrims.
“Any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and the security of its people will be met with firm reciprocal measures in all domains,” the Pakistani government statement added.
Security analysts warn that beyond these diplomatic measures, a military response from India may still be forthcoming. Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Thursday to punish all those responsible for the attack “to the ends of the Earth.”
Relations between the neighbors have deteriorated to their lowest point in years, with experts concerned about potential military escalation in the coming weeks.
The tourism-focused nature of the recent attack marked a significant shift from previous incidents that typically targeted security forces.
“Given the Narendra Modi government’s security approach, they might resort to kinetic (military) measures in the next couple of weeks because they believe in projecting a strong security state,” said International Crisis Group analyst Praveen Donthi.
