Long Term Visas already issued to Hindu Pakistanis remain valid: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday clarified that Long Term Visas (LTVs) already issued to Hindu Pakistani nationals will remain valid. This comes a day after the Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced during a press briefing that Pakistani visas will be cancelled with immediate effect as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

The statement said that Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas. Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India.

On Wednesday, the MEA had announced that the Government of India has decided to suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect. All existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals stand revoked with effect from 27 April 2025, a press statement said, adding that medical visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be valid only till 29 April 2025.

Adding to the cancellation of visas, India announced that the Indus Waters Treaty between the two countries will also be suspended with immediate effect.

Further, the Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were declared Persona Non Grata and the overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by May 1, 2025.