Amritsar (Punjab) [India], April 24 (ANI): After the Indian government shut the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP) in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab Police Protocol Officer Arun Mahal confirmed that while the iconic gates remained shut, ceremonies were conducted separately on either side of the border.

Speaking to ANI, Mahal mentioned that 28 Pakistani nationals returned home, while 105 Indian citizens crossed back into India.

'The government of India has taken very strict decisions. The gates at the Attari-Wagah integrated check post were not opened and the parade was done in the respective areas. A total of 28 Pakistani nationals left for Pakistan from the Attari border and 105 Indian nationals have returned from Pakistan. There has been an impact on the number of tourists,' the officer said.

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday announced that it will scale down the ceremonial display during the retreat ceremony at Attari, Hussainiwala, and Sadki in Punjab.

Among the key changes, the symbolic handshake between the Indian Guard Commander and their Pakistani counterpart will be suspended. Additionally, the gates at the border will remain closed during the ceremony, BSF said in the post.

The decision comes after terrorists launched a deadly attack on tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured, in one of the deadliest attacks in the valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.

Following the attack, India has taken strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.

In the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, India decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism and has closed the integrated Attari Check Post.

India has also declared the officials of the Pakistani High Commission persona non grata and ordered them to leave India within a week. The country further decided to cancel any visas provided under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and ordered Pakistanis to leave the country within 48 hours.

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, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. (ANI)