Centre urges Indians to avoid travel to Pakistan, asks those in Pakistan to return amid Pahalgam attack fallout

The Centre on Thursday issued an advisory urging its citizens to avoid all travel to Pakistan and advised those currently in the country to return home at the earliest.

The move follows the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists, killing at least 26 people. The attack has led to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, with New Delhi attributing the violence to cross-border terrorism. This is one of the most severe in the region since the 2019 Pulwama bombing, which killed 40 CRPF personnel.

Following a high-level diplomatic offensive against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday issued a strong advisory urging Indian nationals to avoid travel to Pakistan and advised those currently there to return immediately.

The advisory came after the Cabinet Committee on Security met to discuss India's response to the attack that killed 26 people, including tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid travelling to Pakistan. Those Indian nationals currently in Pakistan are also advised to return to India at the earliest,” the MEA said in a statement.

The advisory is part of a broader set of measures announced by the government, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the closure of the Attari checkpost, and the reduction of diplomatic presence between the two countries.