What is SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme that India cancelled for Pakistan nationals after Pahalgam attack?

• The Indian government revoked the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, which claimed 26 lives.
• This move was decided in a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), highlighting India’s immediate response to cross-border terrorism.

2. SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES)

• Purpose: Provides certain dignitaries and professionals from SAARC member states a special travel document exempting them from visas within the region.
• Launched: 1992, based on a decision from the Fourth SAARC Summit (Islamabad, 1988).
• Eligible Categories: 24 categories including dignitaries, judges, parliamentarians, senior officials, businessmen, journalists, and sportspersons.
• Benefits: Facilitates hassle-free travel, avoids city-specific restrictions, police reporting, and repeated form-filling.

3. Implications of India’s Decision

• Immediate Diplomatic Impact:
  • All SVES visas issued to Pakistani nationals are canceled.
  • Any Pakistani currently in India under SVES has 48 hours to leave.
  • Indian government declared Pakistani defence, navy, and air advisers as persona non grata (PNG), reciprocating by withdrawing Indian advisers from Islamabad.
• Bilateral Relations:
  • A clear signal of India’s zero-tolerance policy toward cross-border terrorism.
  • Likely to further strain India-Pakistan diplomatic and security relations.
• Regional Cooperation:
  • Temporarily impacts SAARC regional cooperation mechanisms, as SVES is a symbol of intra-SAARC mobility and trust.
  • Reflects the tension between regional cooperation goals and national security priorities.

4. Strategic and Security Analysis

• Highlights India’s emphasis on security over regional diplomacy in the wake of terrorism.
• May influence visa policies, counter-terrorism cooperation, and monitoring of cross-border movements for other SAARC nationals as well.
• Could serve as a precedent for stricter scrutiny of diplomatic and official personnel from states involved in hostile activities.
  
  Updated - April 24, 2025 01:01 pm | The Hindu