ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has summoned a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Thursday (tomorrow) after India announced a raft of measures to downgrade its ties with Pakistan on Wednesday, a day after suspected militants killed 26 men at Pahalgam, a tourist destination in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jamu and Kashmir.
The committee — composed of senior civil and military officials and summoned only in cases of external threat or major terror attack — will meet Thursday, deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar, who is also the foreign minister, said on X, according to AFP
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair the NSC session with all services chiefs in attendance.
He said that an appropriate response will be thrashed out in response to the steps announced by New Delhi.
Earlier, addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the cross-border linkages of the attack had been “brought out” at a special meeting of the security cabinet, after which it was decided to act against Pakistan.
He said New Delhi would suspend with immediate effect a crucial river water treaty that allows for sharing the waters of the Indus river system between the two countries.
The defence advisers in the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi were declared persona non grata and asked to leave, Misri said, adding that the overall strength of the Indian high commission in Islamabad will be reduced to 30 from 55.