PM Modi cut short his Saudi visit, HM Shah landed in Kashmir within few hours; Rajnath hints at big revenge; CCS pulls plug on Pak, suspends IWT; Opposition offers unconditional support to Govt;Omar led APM supports Centre’s response to terror attack, Rahul Gandhi arrives in Srinagar
KNO Special Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 25 (KNO): Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians, mostly tourists dead, evoked a massive response from the country’s political leadership.
The news about the terrorists killing unarmed tourists at Baisaran meadows nestled in Himalayas in South Kashmir plunged entire country into mourning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his Saudia Arabia trip and flew back to New Delhi.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kashmir barely a few hours after the gruesome attack. He chaired a security review meeting at Raj Bhavan here, paid tributes to the civilians killed in the attack, met the injured at Anantnag Hospital and visited Baisaran, the terror attack site.
After winding up his Kashmir visit Shah, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) wrote on X: “With a heavy heart, paid last respects to the deceased of the Pahalgam terror attack. Bharat will not bend to terror. The culprits of this dastardly terror attack will not be spared.”
INDIA PULLS PLUG ON PAK
After his return from Saudia Arabia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and the government announced that “blood and water cannot flow together.”
The CCS announced a series of measures targeting Pakistan after the meeting was apprised about the Pahalgam terror attack having cross border linkages.
After the meeting ended Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri informed the media that the government has decided to put the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance with immediate effect. “The decision will remain in force until Pakistan credibly and irreversibly ends its support for cross-border terrorism,” he said, adding, “ The integrated checkpost at Attari has been closed with immediate effect. Pakistani nationals who entered India through valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1, 2025.”
Misri, as per KNO, also said Pakistani nationals will no longer be allowed to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). All previously issued SVES visas are deemed cancelled. Pakistani nationals currently in India under SVES visas must leave the country within 48 hours.
He said the Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi have been declared persona non grata and have one week to leave India. India will also withdraw its corresponding Defence, Navy, and Air Advisors from its High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in both High Commissions stand annulled.
Also, five support staff members associated with the service advisors will also be withdrawn from both missions. The total strength of the High Commissions will be reduced from 55 to 30 by May 1.
‘BIG REVENGE ASSURED’
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hinted at a “big revenge” saying, “Orchestrators of Pahalgam attack will soon see a loud and clear response.”
“In Pahalgam, targeting a particular religion, terrorists executed a cowardly act, in which we lost many innocent lives... I want to assure the countrymen that the government will take every necessary step. We will not only reach the perpetrators of this act but also the actors behind the scenes... The accused will soon see a loud and clear response, I want to assure the country."
He said, “We are deeply distressed. I express my condolences to the families who lost their loved ones... I want to repeat India's resolve against terrorism. We have a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism... I want to assure the countrymen that the government will take every necessary step to eliminate terror.”
PERPETRATORS WILL BE TRACED AND PUNISHED
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday while addressing a rally in Bihar announced that perpetrators of Pahalgam terror attack would be traced and punished and the nation won’t rest till the culprits and their backers are brought to book. “Entire country is in pain because of the attack. The government is working hard to ensure the well-being of the injured,” he said.
PM Modi described the attack not only as an assault on innocent tourists but also as an attack on India’s spirit. "This was not just an attack on tourists; the enemies of India have dared to attack the soul of our nation," he said.
He assured that the government was determined to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Prime Minister made it clear that both the terrorists who carried out the attack and those who supported them would face severe consequences. "The time has come to dismantle whatever is left of the terror haven. The will of 140 crore Indians will break the back of the masters of terror," he said.
RAJNATH CHAIRS ALL PARTY MEETING
An All Party Meeting (APM) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and opposition told the government it backs all the actions against terrorism.
The developments following the terror attack in Pahalgam were thoroughly discussed during the meeting. The opposition offered unconditional support to the government's actions in combating terrorism.
The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and other senior leaders and ministers from across the political spectrum, including Union Ministers JP Nadda, Praful Patel, and Nirmala Sitharaman. Also present were TDP’s Lavu Srikrishna, Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde, and opposition leaders Supriya Sule, Asaduddin Owaisi, T. Siva, and Premchand Gupta.
After the meeting ended, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said everyone condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack while the opposition has given full support to the government to take any action.
APM LED BY CM OMAR SUPPORTS CENTRE’S RESPONSE
An All Party Meeting (APM) chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar termed the Pahalgam terror attack as barbaric and inhuman, the meeting also supported the steps taken by the Centre in response to the carnage and paid rich tributes to martyr Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a local horse ride operator, who was killed while attempting to fight off terrorists to save tourists.
After the meeting ended, the Chief Minister while addressing a news conference here said, “Unanimous resolution was passed to denounce the deadly attack and expressing solidarity with the families of the victims. The resolution also reiterated J&K’s commitment to peace and communal harmony.”
The resolution, Omar said, described the April 22 attack on unarmed civilians as "barbaric" and an “attack on the values of Kashmiriyat and the idea of India”.
“The participants strongly denounced the attack on defenceless civilians and expressed their shock and agony. Such cowardly acts of brutality have no place in society and are a direct attack on the region’s traditions of unity and harmony,” the Chief Minister said. “The leaders pledged full support for all efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice and affirmed that no act of terror could weaken their resolve.”
Participants, the Chief Minister said, also expressed support for the steps taken by the Union Government in response to the attack.
RAHUL GANDHI REACHES SRINAGAR
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi arrived in Srinagar on Friday and said that the entire opposition stands firmly behind the government in its response to the terror incident in Pahalgam that left over two dozen people dead and several injured.
Addressing the media in Srinagar he said, “We had a meeting yesterday with the government. The opposition condemned this attack and assured full support for whatever action the government wants to take.”
Gandhi also expressed solidarity with the victims and said the intention behind the attack was to divide society. “It is very important that every single Indian stands united. We must defeat what the terrorists are trying to do,” he said.
“My love and affection to everyone who lost family members. The whole nation is standing together as one,” Gandhi said, adding that targeting innocent people or specific communities in the aftermath of such attacks only helps the agenda of terrorism—(KNO)