India downgrades diplomatic ties with Pakistan
New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI): India on Wednesday suspended the Indus Water Treaty and announced downgrading diplomatic ties with Pakistan including expulsion of its military attaches in view of cross-border links to the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met this evening under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and firmed up the responses to the terror attack.
The CCS decided that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a media briefing.
The Integrated Check Post at Attari will be closed with immediate effect, he said.
Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1, he said.
The current visas of Pakistani nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) have been cancelled, and they must leave within 48 hours.
Misri said "the defence, military, naval and air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Grata."
They have a week to leave India, he said.
India will be withdrawing its own defence, navy and air advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
"These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions," he said.
"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," he said.
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Uttarakhand: Close call for 3 as heli ambulance makes emergency landing in Kedarnath
Rudraprayag(PTI): A 'Sanjeevani' heli ambulance operated by AIIMS, Rishikesh on Saturday made an emergency landing in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath after developing a technical snag, an official said.
Two doctors and a pilot on board the helicopter are safe, District Tourism Development Officer Rahul Chaubey said.
The Sanjeevani heli ambulance had gone to Kedarnath to rescue a pilgrim suffering from respiratory distress when it developed a technical snag in its tail rotor forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing, said Chaubey, who is also the nodal officer for the Heli Service said.
The heli ambulance's tail rotor broke when it was making an emergency landing on a flat surface close to the helipad, he said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will conduct an investigation into the incident, Choubey said.
The heli ambulance was coming to Kedarnath from AIIMS Rishikesh to rescue a patient, Shree Devi.
Before landing on the main helipad of Kedarnath, the helicopter developed some technical fault. Realizing it on time, the pilot thought it best to land on a flat surface just before the helipad. However, the helicopter's tail rotor broke during landing, the official said.
