Pahalgam terror attack LIVE | Rahul to meet the injured in Anantnag tomorrow
Pak says attempt to divert water under Indus Waters Treaty will be considered Act of War; announces suspension of trade, bilateral accords, airspaces with India
The Centre convened an all-party meeting on the Pahalgam terror attack on Thursday (April 24) evening, where it briefed the leaders of various political parties on the attack and heard their views.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Bihar addressing pre-election rallies, did not attend the meeting. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affair Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Jaishankar and Shah met President Droupadi Murmu during the day.
Pakistan's counter-measures
Across the border, Pakistan said any move to divert water meant for it under the Indus Water Treaty would be considered an Act of War as it announced the suspension of trade, bilateral accords, including the Simla Agreement, and airspaces with India. These were among other moves in retaliation to New Delhi's measures against the country in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.
The announcements were made after a meeting chaired by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to formulate the country's response to India's move to suspend the Indus Water Treaty and downgrade diplomatic ties after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Modi’s tough talk
In his first statement since the April 22 carnage, Modi, speaking from Bihar, sent a stern warning to the perpetrators of the attack and asserted that India would identify, track and punish every terrorist involved in the incident and their backers “beyond their imagination”.
“This attack was not merely on unarmed tourists; the country’s enemies have dared to attack the soul of Bharat (India),” he said. “Every effort will be made to ensure that justice is served. The entire nation stands firm in this resolve.”
We “will pursue them (Pahalgam attackers) to the end of earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism,” Modi chose to state in English. Before starting his speech, Modi, along with the public, observed a minute of silence to pay homage to the 26 Pahalgam victims.
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- 24 April 2025 2:45 PM GMT
Pahalgam terror attack : India briefs G20 envoys
India on Thursday briefed New Delhi-based envoys of almost all G20 nations and those from its strategic partners on the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack and its link to cross-border terrorism, people familiar with the matter said.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri apprised the diplomats about various aspects of Tuesday's terror attack that killed 26 innocent people and India's firm policy of "zero tolerance" against terrorism, they said.
The briefing was held a day after India announced a raft of measures against Pakistan including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post.
The Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi firmed up the punitive measures against Pakistan in view of the cross-border links to the Pahalgam attack.
Envoys of G20 member nations such as the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Australia, Indonesia and China attended the briefing.
Envoys of India's close strategic partners including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Malaysia also joined it.
- 24 April 2025 2:26 PM GMT
A shopping spree saved lives of 68 Tamil Nadu tourists
A shopping spree at the picturesque Aru, close to Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, saved a group of 68 tourists from Tamil Nadu from getting caught in the terror attack on April 22, said the tourists who returned on Thursday.
The tourists, who returned from Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, said they had a providential escape as their trip to Pahalgam in Anantnag district was delayed due to shopping at Aru.
"We were shopping for handicraft products at Aru where we spent over half an hour beyond our schedule. As a result, our visit to Pahalgam got delayed and this saved us our lives," a woman tourist said.
A phone call from their tour operator informing them about the terrorist attack on tourists and asking them to immediately return to their hotel rooms, made them abandon their plan to visit Pahalgam on the fourth day of their trip to Jammu and Kashmir, another tourist said.
"Hearing the news, a member in our group suffered a cardiac arrest and the helpful local driver rushed him to a hospital," he said.
The man identified later as Chandru of Madurai, got a stent and his condition was stable, he added.
Among the 68 people, 30 were from Madurai, and they were all on a five-day trip to Jammu and Kashmir. Of them 26 were women. They managed to remain safe. They boarded a flight on Wednesday evening and returned today.
They thanked the Indian Army, the central and state governments for their support and safe return.
- 24 April 2025 1:54 PM GMT
LIC eases claim settlement rules for Pahalgam terror attack victims
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Thursday announced relaxation in claim settlement procedure for victims of Pahalgam terror attack.
LIC in a statement said it is committed to supporting those affected and will expedite claim settlements to provide financial relief.
LIC CEO & MD Siddhartha Mohanty said the insurance company announced many concessions to mitigate the hardships of the claimants of LIC policies.
In lieu of death certificates, any evidence in government records of death of the policyholder due to the terrorist attack or any compensation paid by central/state government will be accepted as proof of death, he said.
- 24 April 2025 1:44 PM GMT
Air India flights to take alternative extended route due to Pakistan airspace restrictions
After Pakistan barred Indian airlines from using its airspace, Air India on Thursday said its flights connecting North America, the UK, Europe and the Middle East are likely to take an alternative extended route due to Pakistan airspace restrictions.
In a post on X, Air India said that due to the announced restriction of Pakistan airspace for all Indian airlines, it is expected that some Air India flights to or from North America, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East will take an alternative extended route.
"Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen airspace closure that is outside our control. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority," the airline said.
