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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 10:38 AM
Pakistan behind Pahalgam terror attack, BJP exploiting tragedy : Congress
The Congress on Thursday said the that Pahalgam attack was masterminded by Pakistan and is a direct assault on the values of the Indian republic. However, it also accused the BJP of exploiting the tragedy to promote discord and polarisation at a time unity is the need of the hour.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC), chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, asserted that it is imperative that a comprehensive analysis is conducted into the intelligence failures and security lapses that enabled such an attack in a Union Territory, which is directly under the purview of the Union Home Ministry.
Reading out the resolution at a press conference, party general secretary K C Venugopal, along with Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera, said the deliberate targeting of Hindus was done to inflame passions across the country.
"This cowardly and calculated act of terror, masterminded by Pakistan, is a direct assault on the values of our Republic. The deliberate targeting of Hindus was done to inflame passions across the country. We appeal for calm in the face of this grave provocation and reaffirm our collective strength in the face of adversity," the resolution said.
"However, it is shocking that the BJP is exploiting this grave tragedy through official and proxy social media platforms to sow further discord, mistrust, polarisation and division at a time when unity and solidarity are most needed," it added.
- 24 April 2025 10:30 AM
Police told to keep an eye on overstaying nationals in Karnataka: Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that he has instructed policeto remain vigilant about foreign nationals overstaying in the state.
His comments come against the backdrop of the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam that left at least 26 people dead on Tuesday.
"I have told the police to remain cautious," Siddaramaiah told reporters in response to a question about surveillance on foreign nationals overstaying in the state. Speaking on the terror incident, he said the attack was condemnable, heinous, and inhuman.
- 24 April 2025 10:23 AM
India revokes all existing valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals: MEA
In accordance decisions made by the Cabinet Committee on Security in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Centre has decided to suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect. All existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals stand revoked with effect from 27 April 2025, said the Ministry of External Affairs
Press Release: Decision regarding Visas of Pakistani nationals⬇️
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 24, 2025
🔗 https://t.co/FiJbnWE43d - 24 April 2025 10:12 AM
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan: 575 people from Kerala still in Kashmir
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that 575 people from Kerala were still in Kashmir, where a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 claimed 26 lives. He also said that steps have been taken to provide travel, medical assistance and food to those in need. Arrangements, including ticket booking for onward travel, have been made for those arriving in Delhi from Kashmir, the CM said in a statement issued by his office.
"Our grief is doubled by the fact that there is a Keralite among those who lost their lives there. We share in the grief of the relatives of the deceased N Ramachandran," he said.
Terming the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam as one which shocked the conscience of the country, Vijayan said it should not be allowed to happen again as it was an assault on humanity itself.
- 24 April 2025 9:52 AM
Pahalgam attack: Only one foreigner killed says Centre
Only one foreigner from Nepal, was among the 26 people killed in the Pahalgam terror strike on Tuesday, government officials have said .Earlier, the officials had prepared a list in which a resident of Uttarakhand was shown as a national of the UAE.
However, on Wednesday night, the government for the first time officially announced the casualty figure, saying only one foreigner had been killed in the attack. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was given details on the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that left 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen dead.
- 24 April 2025 9:49 AM
With Centre's 48 hour deadline Pakistani nationals start leaving the country
A day after India set a 48-hour deadline for Pakistani nationals several Pakistani citizens visiting India started returning home through the Attari-Wagah land route in Amritsar on Thursday.
The Centre on Wednesday announced a raft of measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the horrific terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians on Tuesday.
According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC visa exemption scheme (SVES) and any Pakistani national currently in India under the SVES visa scheme had 48 hours to leave the country.
