Pahalgam terror attack: Kapil Sibal offers suggestions to PM Modi to counter Pakistan — ‘Like US doing to other nations’

Congress leader and advocate Kapil Sibal urged the Centre on Friday to inform the nations trading with Pakistan that they would not be allowed in Indian markets unless they stopped doing business with Pakistan. “What the US does with other nations, you should also do,” Sibal said at a press conference on Friday.

He warned of potential losses in the process but assured the nation is with the central government. His statement came after India imposed a raft of measures against Pakistan and the latter retaliated in the wake of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

Kapil Sibal offered a few suggestion to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to counter Pakistan, which India has accused of harboring terrorists. He said:

1. A special session of the Parliament must be held to discuss and get suggestions from everyone.
2. A resolution must be passed unanimously to express the sentiment of the nation in front of the world
3. “We should send a delegation of the ruling BJP and Oppostion MPs to countries like Africa, the US, Europe, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and South America, so that we can inform them on a global level about the situation. We will not be able to create diplomatic pressure if we don’t take this step…”
4.  “We should tell all major nations who have trade with Pakistan, that they cannot come to our market if they have trade with Pakistan… We should present this point in every diplomatic initiative. ”
5. “The United Nations should create pressure. A resolution must be passed in the Security Council, and we should see whether China supports it or goes against it. We have to take these diplomatic initiatives…”

Pahalgam terror attack; India takes action

Terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, killing at least 26 people, including one Nepali citizen, while leaving several others injured.

Following the attack, India took strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.

India decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism and has closed the integrated Attari Check Post.

India also declared the officials of the Pakistani High Commission persona non grata and ordered them to leave India within a week. 

The country further decided to cancel any visas provided under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and ordered Pakistan to leave the country within 48 hours.

Pakistan retaliates

Pakistan, meanwhile, warned it could suspend the Simla Agreement, a significant peace treaty signed after the 1971 India-Pakistan war that ended in Bangladesh splitting from Pakistan.

Pakistan also announced airspace restrictions for all Indian airlines. Several airlines, including SpiceJet, Air India, and IndiGo, have issued travel advisories for their passengers.

Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee, in retaliation for India’s decision, also decided to close the Attari-Wagah border.