Amit Shah asks CMs to identify Pakistani nationals and ensure their return

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held discussions with Chief Ministers on Friday, urging them to identify Pakistani nationals residing in their respective states and take steps to ensure their prompt return to Pakistan, sources confirmed.

Shah instructed the Chief Ministers to identify all Pakistani nationals within their states and to facilitate their immediate repatriation. In light of the growing security concerns, a decision has been made to cancel all types of visas with immediate effect, sources added.

In a related development, Shah is also scheduled to hold a meeting at his residence regarding the Indus Water Treaty. The meeting will be attended by Union Minister for Jal Shakti, CR Patil, and other senior government officials.

Sources told ANI that India has formally notified Pakistan in writing about the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty.

Devashree Mukherjee, Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, sent a letter to Syed Ali Murtaza, the Secretary of Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources, informing him of the Indian government's decision to amend the treaty. The notice outlined the significant changes in circumstances, such as altered population demographics and the need to accelerate clean energy development, which have affected the treaty’s assumptions regarding water distribution.

The Indian government has invoked Article XII (3) of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, seeking modifications due to "fundamental changes" in the region, including the development of new clean energy projects and Pakistan’s involvement in cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

The notice further highlighted that any treaty should be implemented in good faith, but Pakistan’s promotion of terrorism, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, has raised concerns.

This announcement follows a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, where 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen were killed, and several others injured. The attack, targeting tourists at Baisaran meadow, has prompted the Indian government to take a tougher stance on issues related to Pakistan.