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India Cancels SAARC Visa Perks for Pakistan — What Is the Scheme and Why It Matters

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TheNews21 Bureau
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New Delhi: In a decisive diplomatic response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, the Indian government has suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals. The move, approved during a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), signals India’s intent to further isolate Pakistan on the international stage over its alleged complicity in cross-border terrorism.

The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that all existing SAARC visa stickers issued to Pakistani citizens stand cancelled with immediate effect. “All Pakistani nationals currently in India under this scheme must exit the country within 48 hours,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told NDTV, adding that “India can no longer allow diplomatic or cultural loopholes to be exploited by elements hostile to our national security.”

The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, introduced in 1992, was originally created to foster regional integration and ease travel among SAARC member countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The scheme covered 24 categories, including officials, lawmakers, judges, businesspersons, journalists, and athletes, allowing them to travel visa-free within the region through special ‘Visa Stickers’ issued by their home governments.

Over the years, SVES has served as one of the few remaining diplomatic mechanisms maintaining people-to-people and cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan, even during periods of political tension. Its suspension now effectively ends those formal interactions.

The government’s move comes amid growing demands from civil society and political leaders for tougher measures following the Pahalgam attack, which targeted a bus carrying tourists. The assault has renewed national outrage and amplified calls for accountability and stricter policies towards Pakistan.

An official from the Ministry of Home Affairs stated, “This is part of a calibrated response to dismantle any form of engagement that gives Pakistan diplomatic legitimacy while it continues to harbour and aid terror groups operating across the border.”

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