India suspends visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect
New Delhi(PTI): India on Thursday announced suspending visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect in line with its retaliatory measures against Islamabad in the wake of the brazen Pahalgam terror attack.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said all existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals stand revoked with effect from April 27.
It said medical visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be valid only till April 29.
The MEA said all Pakistani nationals currently in India must leave the country before the expiry of visas.
It also strongly advised Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Pakistan and advised those currently in the neighbouring country to return home at the earliest.
India on Wednesday downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and announced a raft of measures including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.
The punitive measures against Pakistan were decided at a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Govt followed court orders, will continue to do so: MP CM on row over minister Vijay Shah's remarks
Bhopal (PTI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said his government has followed court orders and will continue to do so over his minister Vijay Shah’s objectionable remarks aimed at Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
The CM’s statement comes amid growing demand for the resignation of Shah, the tribal affairs minister.
The Congress has no moral right to demand minister Shah's resignation, he said, adding that the opposition party should first ask Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step down from the post.
“Whatever order the judiciary has given, our government has followed it. Whatever the court says, we will continue to act accordingly,” Yadav told reporters on the sidelines of the Tiranga Yatra launched by the BJP from Roshanpura Square here.
When asked about Congress demanding Shah’s resignation, he said, “Congress will continue to do so. The party should demand (resignation) from (Karnataka CM) Siddaramaiah.”
“Congress can only talk. Congress's conduct is that it supported (former Delhi CM Arvind) Kejriwal step by step, even though he went to jail while being the chief minister. Where was Congress at that time? Congress does not even have the right to speak. No one has crossed the limits of shamelessness so much as Congress has done,” he said.
Shah had made the controversial statements during a public event in a rural area in Indore district on Monday without naming Qureshi. Through his comments, Shah tried to present Colonel Sofia as the “sister of terrorists”.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the remarks, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday ordered registration of an FIR against him.
Following the court order, an FIR was registered against Shah in Indore district on Wednesday night.
Ever since the controversy erupted, the Congress has been demanding Shah's resignation.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and veteran BJP leader Uma Bharti has also demanded Shah’s immediate dismissal from the cabinet.
Col Qureshi gained nationwide prominence after she shared details of ‘Operation Sindoor’, launched by the Indian armed forces, at press conferences along with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
After a huge controversy arose over his statement, Shah said if anyone was hurt, he was ready to apologise ten times. He also said that he respected Colonel Qureshi more than he respected his sister.
