Following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in 2025, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by the Prime Minister, has revoked the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals.

• This move reflects India’s firm diplomatic response to Pakistan’s persistent support for cross-border terrorism and a recalibration of regional security protocols.

What is the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES)?

Background:

• Launch: Initiated in 1992, based on the decisions made at the 4th SAARC Summit (1988, Islamabad).

• Objective:

  • To promote people-to-people contact and regional integration within South Asia.

  • Facilitates ease of travel for select categories of individuals across SAARC member countries, aiming to foster economic, cultural, and political cooperation.

Key Features:

• Special Travel Document: Eligible individuals are issued a Visa Exemption Sticker attached to their passport, allowing visa-free travel across SAARC nations.

• Validity:

  • Visa exemption stickers are typically valid for one year.

  • Subject to annual review and renewal by immigration authorities.

  • Validity is contingent upon continued eligibility and non-involvement in activities contrary to national security.

India-Specific Provisions under SVES:

• Nepal and Bhutan:

  • Indian nationals can travel to Nepal and Bhutan without a visa under longstanding bilateral treaties.

• Pakistani Nationals:

  • Only select categories (notably businesspersons, officials, journalists) were eligible for multiple-entry Business Visas.

  • Pre-2015 rules: Limited to one-year validity and travel to 10 locations.

  • Post-2015 liberalization:

    • Special-category Pakistani businessmen could obtain three-year multiple-entry visas.

    • Travel permitted to 15 designated Indian cities.

• Sri Lankan Nationals:

  • Eligible for e-Tourist Visa facility in India, enhancing tourism and people-to-people connectivity.

• Other Provisions:

  • Business Visa facilities were also extended to nationals of Bangladesh, Maldives, and other SAARC countries.

India’s Revocation of SVES for Pakistani Nationals (2025):

• Decision:

  • All existing SAARC Visa Exemption Stickers issued to Pakistani nationals have been revoked with immediate effect.

  • Pakistani nationals currently in India under the SVES are directed to exit the country promptly.

• Rationale:

  • National Security Concerns: Increasing incidents of infiltration, espionage, and terror attacks linked to cross-border elements.

  • Diplomatic Signaling: Emphasizes India's zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism.

  • Policy Shift: Reflects a broader reorientation of India's South Asia policy, giving priority to security interests over multilateral mechanisms that are seen as being undermined by specific member states.

Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) 

• CCS headed by the Prime Minister, it includes ministers from Finance, Defence, Home Affairs, and External Affairs. Other members may include defence chiefs and senior bureaucrats. 
  • It plays a pivotal role in India’s national security framework, dealing with critical matters related to defense, law and order, and foreign affairs. 
• CCS was first convened during the Indo-Pak War of 1947–48, chaired by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. After the 1999 Kargil War, it adopted a formal structure, becoming India's apex decision-making body for defense and national security.  
  • The CCS has met during critical events like the 1971 India-Pakistan War and the 1999 IC 814 hijack (Kandahar hijack)