The terror assault in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shorten his vacation to Saudi Arabia, and he arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday morning. At the airport, he met briefly with foreign secretary Vikram Misri, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, and NSA Ajit Doval.
In Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam’s Baisaran, unidentified gunmen opened fire on defenseless bystanders, killing at least 26 tourists. Security personnel hurried to the scene after hearing gunshots.
According to the authorities, early information indicated a potential terror strike at a tourist destination. According to PTI, security personnel have been dispatched to the scene and an operation is presently in progress.
Known as’mini Switzerland’ because to its vast, verdant meadows, the event happened at approximately 3 p.m. when terrorists descended from the mountain in the Baisaran valley and began shooting at the visitors who frequent the area.
According to the officials, a helicopter was called into action to evacuate the injured, and some of the injured were transported from the meadows by locals riding horses.
Pahalgam terror incident: Key recent developments
- The terrorist attack in Baisaran, Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, injured at least 20 tourists.
- PM Narendra Modi shortened his official trip to Saudi Arabia and arrived in Delhi early on Wednesday morning. He chose to return sooner than expected and skipped the Saudi Arabian-hosted official supper. He was supposed to return tomorrow evening, but he arrived early on Wednesday morning, according to sources in the Government of India.
- Modi reaffirmed India’s “unshakable” resolve to combat terrorism and harshly denounced the Pahalgam terror assault on Tuesday, vowing that those responsible will face punishment.
- Rahul Gandhi, the Congress MP and leader of the opposition, discussed the horrifying Pahalgam attack with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Congress MP Tariq Karra, and Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday. “Discussed the horrifying Pahalgam terror attack with HM Amit Shah, J&K CM Omar Abdullah, and J&K PCC President Tariq Karra,” he stated. I was given a situational update. He continued, “The families of victims deserve justice and our fullest support.”
- World leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and US President Donald Trump, expressed sympathy with India and denounced the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
- US President Trump made a strong condemnation of the terror attack and pledged his full help to bring those responsible for the “heinous attack” to justice during a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- According to an official statement issued on Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chose to shorten her official travel to the United States and Peru in the wake of the incident and would return to India as soon as possible. Sitharaman was scheduled to spend five days in Peru after arriving in the United States on Sunday for a six-day vacation.
Following the incident, PM Modi’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has decided on five important actions. They are:
(i) Until Pakistan can legitimately and permanently renounce its support for cross-border terrorism, the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty will be placed in abeyance.
(ii) The closure of the Integrated Check Post Attari will take effect immediately. Before May 1, 2025, those who have crossed across with legitimate endorsements may do so again.
(iii) Under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES), Pakistani nationals will not be able to enter India. Any previous SVES visas granted to citizens of Pakistan are considered revoked. Every Pakistani national with an SVES visa in India has 48 hours to depart the country.
(iv) Persona Non Grata is the designation given to the Defence/Military, Naval, and Air Advisors at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. They can depart India in a week. The Indian High Commission in Islamabad will no longer have its own defense, navy, and air advisors. These positions are considered revoked in their respective High Commissions. Additionally, five of the Service Advisors’ support workers will be removed from both High Commissions.
(v) By May 1, 2025, additional cuts will be made to reduce the High Commission’s overall strength from the current 55 to 30.
📰 Stay Updated: Read our full coverage on legal reforms in National News. Dive deeper into legal analysis and public debate under Insight and Debate. Watch legal explainers and expert discussions on YouTube.
