Relations between India and Pakistan that were already strained nosedived further after the Pahalgam terror attack, with New Delhi announcing a raft of retaliatory steps and Islamabad hitting back with a string of tit-for-tat measures.
On Wednesday, India announced a set of diplomatic measures, including the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post, alleging cross-border links to the Pahalgam attack.
Puri on Indus Waters Treaty:
On the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Puri said this was the first time India had taken such a step that “inflicts appropriate cost” on Pakistan.
“I don’t think this is an occasion for me to speculate on the range of options that will be used, but I think the country (Pakistan) is in terminal decline… the western neighbour will be brought to its knees so that they never think of resorting to such a despicable act again,” said Puri, a former diplomat.”Terrorism takes away the most fundamental human right of all — the right to life,” he said. Twenty-five tourists and a ponywalla were killed and several others injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday afternoon.