Pahalgam terror attack LIVE: India suspends Indus Water Treaty
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says that those responsible for the “cowardly terrorist attack” on innocent citizens will soon get a strong response
India on Wednesday (April 23) 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.
Orders closure of Attari Border
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.
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 Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions," he said.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.
Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that those responsible for the “cowardly terrorist attack” on innocent citizens will soon get a “strong response” to their nefarious acts on Indian soil.
Singh, while vowing a befitting reply, also said India will not only hunt down the people who perpetrated the attack but will also trace those “sitting behind the scenes” who had conspired to carry out the deadly act on Indian soil.
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Live Updates
- 23 April 2025 9:23 AM IST
Fadnavis speaks to kin of Maharashtra victims of J-K terror attack, assures all help
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has spoken to the families of people from the state who were targeted by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and assured all help to them.
Also, the Maharashtra government has requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to arrange a special flight to bring back the bodies of five persons from the state killed in the terror attack, a release from Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's office said on Wednesday.
Terrorists struck a prime tourist location at Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday, killing at least 26 persons and injuring several others, according to officials. The deceased included two foreigners -- from the UAE and Nepal -- and two locals, officials said.
Fadnavis in a post on X on Tuesday night said he had spoken to the families of some tourists from Nagpur and Pune who were injured in the terror attack and assured them of all help.
Deputy CM Shinde had a telephonic conversation with Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, requesting to arrange for a special flight to bring back the deceased and facilitate the return of their relatives to Maharashtra.
"Five tourists from the state have died in the attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. Their relatives are also waiting for their return," a release from Shinde's office said.
Naidu has accepted the request, the release said.
"After getting the list (of Maharashtra tourists) from the Jammu and Kashmir administration, arrangements will be made to bring everyone back soon," it said.
- 23 April 2025 9:10 AM IST
'We want justice', say kin of deceased
#WATCH | J&K | Family member of Anantnag resident Syed Hussain Shah, who lost his life in the #PahalgamTerroristAttack, says, "He (Syed Hussain Shah) had gone to Pahalgam to work... We got information about the attack at 3 pm. When we called (Syed Hussain Shah), the phone was not… pic.twitter.com/8IlX5NKB8j
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2025 - 23 April 2025 9:08 AM IST
#WATCH | J&K | Mother of the Anantnag resident Syed Hussain Shah, who lost his life in the #PahalgamTerroristAttack, gets emotional, says, "He was the only bread earner of the family..." pic.twitter.com/W7BgzeVOEC
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2025 - 23 April 2025 8:55 AM IST
Karnataka CM rushes minister to Kashmir to ensure safe return of Kannadigas
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has instructed Labour Minister Santosh Lad to rush to Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir where 26 people, including tourists, were killed in a terror attack and ensure the smooth return of the affected Kannadigas.
A team of officials was dispatched to Kashmir on Tuesday evening to rescue people stranded there following the attack, he said. There are reports of death of at least two people from Karnataka in the attack, so far.
Terrorists opened fire at a famed meadow near Kashmir's Pahalgam town on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in what is the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.
The dead included two foreigners - from UAE and Nepal - and two locals, a high-ranking official said without getting into details. Officials said that 22 of the 26 victims have been identified and efforts are being made to ascertain the identity of the other four.
"The increasing number of deaths in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, today has increased concern. My heart aches when I think of the innocent lives lost in the attack," Siddaramaiah posted on ‘X’.
Praying for peace to the departed souls, he said, it is extremely sad that many Kannadigas who were on a trip have died. He said the state government will make all efforts to bring Kannadigas back to the state safely.
"Realising that more assistance is needed from our government in this regard, I have instructed Labour Minister Santosh Lad to go to Kashmir and oversee the entire operation," he said on Tuesday.
A victim identified as Bharath Bhushan from Bengaluru was shot dead by the terrorists while his wife Sujatha and their three-year-old son were spared, sources said. Another person, a realtor from Shivamogga, Manjunath Rao was also killed in Pahalgam.
- 23 April 2025 8:51 AM IST
#WATCH | J&K | Visuals from Poonch; a collective call for a bandh in strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack has been made in view of the #PahalgamTerroristAttack pic.twitter.com/HgRYqy5w0i
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2025 - 23 April 2025 8:31 AM IST
NIA team investigates Pahalgam attack
A team of NIA has reached Srinagar to probe the terror attack, reports said. Another team is scheduled to reach Srinagar shortly.
