Pahalgam LIVE: 500 Pakistanis leave India; demolitions continue in 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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