India has blocked travel to Pakistan after a Kashmir attack considered to be the worst in two decades. More than 20 people were killed by gunmen with many more suffering injuries at a tourist hotspot in the Himalayas on 22 April 2025.
The domestic male tourists were reportedly visiting the Baisaran Valley meadows, dubbed India’s ‘Mini Switzerland’, in the Pahalgam area when the Kashmir attack occurred.
The armed tourist attack is a deterioration of already shaky diplomatic ties between the two nations as India retaliated with travel bans.
India has closed the only open land border crossing between the two countries, allowing Pakistani nationals who have crossed into India to return back through the point by 1 May.
There are currently no direct flights between India and Pakistan, so this latest measure cuts all transport links between the two.
The Kashmir Resistance militant group has claimed responsibility for the Kashmir attack, saying they were protesting more than 85,000 “outsiders” being settled in the region.
Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed semi-autonomous territory between India and Pakistan with both countries laying claim to the Muslim-majority region; however, both partly rule it.
The area has previously seen violence, but Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said this attack “was much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that “our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakeable and it will get even stronger”.
The Australian Government already has a “do not travel” warning in place for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir due to the danger of armed clashes, terrorist activities and violent demonstrations.
For more info, visit smartraveller.gov.au
