Pahalgam LIVE: 500 Pakistanis leave India; demolitions continue in Kashmir
Modi says attack reflects desperation and cowardice of terrorists and their mentors at a time when peace was returning to Kashmir
Pakistan wants the involvement of Russia and China in investigating the Pahalgam terror attack, according to a media report.
In a recent interview to Russian government-run RIA Novosti news agency, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, “I think Russia or China or even Western countries can play a very, very positive role in this crisis and they can even set up an investigation team that should be assigned this job to investigate whether India or Modi is lying or he is telling the truth. Let an international team find out.”
‘When peace was returning…’
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (April 27) reiterated his warning to the perpetrators and plotters of the terror attack in which terrorists snuffed out 26 innocent lives. He said those behind the attack will be served the most stringent punishment.
In his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address, Modi said the solidarity of Indians in the war against terrorism is the country’s biggest strength.
He said the incident reflected the desperation and cowardice of terrorists and their mentors at a time when peace was returning to Kashmir, tourism was seeing a record surge, democracy was turning stronger and new opportunities were being created for the youth.
“Enemies of the country and Kashmir did not like it,” he said, adding that they wanted the Valley to be destroyed again.
“In the war against terrorism, the unity of the country, the solidarity of 140 crore Indians, is our biggest strength. The world is watching that India is speaking in one voice against the attack,” he said, stressing that this unity is the biggest basis of the decisive battle against terrorism.
NIA takes over probe
The Centre on Sunday handed over the probe into the terror attack to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Eyewitnesses are being questioned in minute detail to piece together the sequence of events that led to one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir, they said.
The entry and exit points are being closely scrutinised by the investigating NIA teams for clues to the modus operandi of the terrorists, the officials said.
The teams, aided by forensic and other experts, are checking the entire area thoroughly for evidence to expose the terror conspiracy that led to the horrendous attack that has shocked the nation, they said.
Unprovoked firing by Pak
Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing, violating the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir for the third time in a row on the intervening night of April 26 and 27. The Indian Army “responded effectively” to the firing, officials said on Sunday.
The Indian Army said its troops “responded effectively with appropriate small arms fire”.
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Live Updates
- 27 April 2025 5:21 AM GMT
Indian Navy carries out anti-ship firing drills
Indian naval warships have successfully carried out anti-ship firings, revalidating readiness for long-range precision strikes, officials said on Sunday.
The firing drills came amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.
"Indian Navy Ships undertook successful multiple anti-ship firings to revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems and crew for long-range precision offensive strike," an Indian Navy official said.
"Indian Navy stands combat-ready, credible and future-ready in safeguarding the nation's maritime interests anytime, anywhere, anyhow," he added.
- 27 April 2025 5:04 AM GMT
NIA takes over Pahalgam terror attack probe
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe into the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed, officials said on Sunday.
The teams, overseen by an Inspector General of Police, a Deputy Inspector General of Police and a Superintendent of Police from the anti-terror agency, are examining the eyewitnesses to the attack that took place on Tuesday at Baisaran valley in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, they said.
The eyewitnesses are being questioned in minute detail to piece together the sequence of events that led to one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir, they said.
The entry and exit points are being closely scrutinised by the investigating NIA teams for clues to the modus operandi of the terrorists, the officials said.
The teams, aided by forensic and other experts, are checking the entire area thoroughly for evidence to expose the terror conspiracy that led to the horrendous attack that has shocked the nation, they said.
NIA teams, which have been camping at the terror attack site since Wednesday, have intensified the search for evidence, they said.
The anti-terror agency has taken over the Pahalgam terror attack case following orders from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Terrorists on Tuesday opened fire in Baisaran, a popular tourist spot in the upper reaches of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, killing 26 people, mostly holidayers from other states.
- 27 April 2025 4:22 AM GMT
Are unresolved questions of Partition reflected in Pahalgam tragedy?: Mani Shankar Aiyar
Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday wondered whether the Pahalgam tragedy was a result of unresolved questions of the Partition.
Addressing a book release function in New Delhi, the former Union minister said the question that was posed to the country then and faced it today was whether Muslims in India felt accepted, cherished and celebrated.
"Many people almost prevented Partition, but it happened because there were differences in value systems and assessments of the nature of India's nationhood and its civilisational inheritance between people like Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Jinnah and many other Muslims who did not agree with Mr Jinnah.
"But the fact is that the Partition happened and till today we are living with the consequences of that Partition. Is this how we should be living? Is that the unresolved questions of the Partition reflected in the terrible tragedy... in Pahalgam on April 22," he said.
Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were gunned down by terrorists at Baisaran meadow in south Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday.
Aiyar said Pakistan's dream of being the protector of Muslims in the subcontinent ended after the 1971 war, when Bangladesh became a separate country.
- 27 April 2025 4:20 AM GMT
All Pakistani nationals left Bihar ahead of April 27 deadline: Officials
The Bihar government has said that all Pakistani nationals, who had been to the state in the recent past, have left well ahead of the April 27 deadline.
A total of 19 Pakistani nationals, who came to different districts of Bihar on visit visas and tourist visas left the state on April 25 or before that, as per data provided by the state government. The details pertain to those Pakistani nationals who visited the state after January 2025.
"The districts have reported that no more Pakistani nationals are left in the state who are yet to return. Only those Pakistani nationals who are on medical visas and long-term visas (LTVs) are currently staying in Bihar. The medical visas are valid till April 29," Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Arvind Kumar Chaudhary told PTI on Saturday.
- 27 April 2025 4:09 AM GMT
Iranian President condemns Pahalgam terror attack, calls for regional unity against terrorism
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack during a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and emphasised the need for regional cooperation to combat terrorism.
President Pezeshkian on Saturday said that Iran unequivocally denounces such "inhumane acts", Iran's embassy in New Delhi said in a post on X.
These tragic events amplify the shared responsibility of all countries in the region and compel the regional states to eradicate the roots of terrorism through empathy, solidarity, and close cooperation, ensuring lasting peace and tranquility for the nations in the region, Pezeshkian stressed.
Referencing the valuable legacy of renowned Indian leaders, the president noted that Iran holds the Indian nation and its prominent figures, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru — "who were messengers of peace, friendship, and co-existence" — in high regard. He also expressed hope that this spirit will remain in India’s relations with all countries.
Terrorists opened fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack.
Regarding mutual economic ties between Iran and India, he expressed hope for the expansion of cooperation in trade and infrastructure more than ever before.
The development of Chabahar Port can serve as a hub for strategic interactions in the region and as a vital connection point between Iran, India, and Russia, the president said.
Pezeshkian also invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Tehran, noting that Iran is keen to discuss ways to strengthen comprehensive collaboration with India in a friendly and constructive atmosphere.
In turn, Modi appreciated Iran’s sympathy regarding the tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam, noting that New Delhi fully agrees with Tehran’s perspective that the fight against terrorism requires the unity and comprehensive cooperation of all countries in the region, the embassy said.
