This is the first meeting between the two leaders since the April 22 terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. (File photos)Kashmir Pahalgam Attack News Highlights: Omar Abdullah calls on PM Modi, discusses situation in J-K New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Saturday and discussed various issues, including last week’s terror attack in Pahalgam, officials said. This is the first meeting between the two leaders since the April 22 terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
India suspends exchange of mails with Pakistan: India on Saturday suspended exchange of all categories of mail and parcels from Pakistan through air and surface routes amid escalating tensions between the two nations over the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. The order suspending the services was issued by the Department of Posts that operates under the Ministry of Communication.
‘Committed to take decisive action against terrorists’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reiterated the nation’s commitment towards taking firm action against terrorism and those who support them, in wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. PM Modi’s words came soon after he held talks with Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Laurenco. The Prime Minister, in his statement, also said that India and Angola are partners in progress and the pillars of the global south.
With tensions between India and Pakistan rising over the Pahalgam terror attack, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke to his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and called for "settlement" of the "disagreements" between the two neighbours under the framework of the Simla agreement and the Lahore declaration.
The Russian embassy said Lavrov held the phone conversation with Jaishankar on Friday. — PTI
Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi decides on Pakistan post the Pahalgam terror attack will be in the national interest.
Singh was talking to reporters after chairing a meeting here to review the situation following the recent cloudbursts that left three people dead and caused massive damage in this district. He assured proper rehabilitation of the victims of the natural calamity. — PTI
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP on Saturday welcomed the Centre's decision to deport Pakistani nationals in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, saying "they have no right to stay in the country even if they are married to Indian citizens".
J-K BJP's chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi said such individuals may be potential “sleeper cells”, and there is a possibility that some of them have been planted by Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as part of a “nefarious” design. — PTI
The family of Shubham Dwivedi, who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, on Saturday immersed his ashes in the holy Sangam here and demanded that the terrorists involved in the massacre must get the harshest possible punishment.
After the ritual, Ashanya, the widow of Shubham Dwivedi, reiterated her demand that the government grant her husband the status of a martyr.
"There has been no action from the government so far. Until terrorism is completely eliminated, we will not get justice for what happened in Pahalgam," she told reporters. — PTI
A two-year-old child in Rajkot, son of a Pakistan national, who, in turn, had been brought to India before the age of five by his Karachi-born mother, who had married an Indian, is likely to be deported across the border. Read Full Article Here
Sri Lankan police on Saturday searched a flight arriving here from Chennai after being tipped-off that a suspect linked to the Pahalgam terror attack could be on board, police spokesperson said here.
A statement from the national carrier SriLankan Airlines said that its flight arrived at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport from Chennai at 11:59 am and underwent a comprehensive security inspection upon arrival. — PTI
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attending events in Mumbai and campaigning in Bihar even as the Central government is talking about giving a "befitting" reply to Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.
Raut also demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation for a "security lapse". — PTI
Ahead of IMF's crucial review meeting next week, Pakistan has termed India's announcement that it will request the global lender to review Islamabad's financial support programme as “politically motivated” after the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Express Tribune said Saturday quoting officials that India's attempt to involve the International Monetary Fund (IMF) “is an extension of its political campaign to isolate Pakistan diplomatically”. — PTI
National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah on Saturday urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to stand against the perpetrators of Pahalgam-like attacks for progress and prosperity, asserting that those behind the April 22 massacre would "rot in hell".
The former chief minister of the erstwhile state visited the residence of Adil Hussain Shah, a pony ride operator who was among the 26 victims, at Hapatnaar in this south Kashmir district. — PTI
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to skip Russia's Victory Day parade and his deputy Sanjay Seth is likely to represent India at the event in Moscow this week, official sources said on Saturday.
The move to send the Minister of State for Defence to the May 9 ceremony comes amid increasing tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.
Russia had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Victory Day parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Germany in the Second World War, but it was decided that Singh would attend the event.
The sources said Seth will represent India at the parade. — PTI
“I am born to serve the Jammu and Kashmir Police and my country, India,” 45-year-old policeman Iftkhar Ali said on Saturday, just days after he and his eight siblings narrowly escaped deportation to Pakistan – a fate averted only through the timely intervention of the high court.
For Ali, who hails from Mendhar sub-division near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, the uniform is more than a job – it's a calling. He has dedicated nearly half his life in the police force, serving its various wings with distinction and earning multiple commendations for his courage and unwavering commitment to duty.
He was all praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and said he was confident that the country's leadership will not allow his handing over to the “enemy nation” on the "mere conspiracy" that they belong to the part of J&K which is under illegal occupation of Pakistan. — PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after meeting with Angola President Joao Manuel Goncalves Laurenco , said, " We are committed to taking firm, decisive action against terrorists and those who support them."
Highlighting the importance of ties between India and the African Union, he said, "We are partners in progress, We are pillars of the Global South."
Pakistan on Saturday announced that it has conducted a successful training launch of the Abdali Weapon System — a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 km, amid heightened tensions with neighbouring country India.
“The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile's advanced navigation system and enhanced manoeuvrability features,” the army said in a statement.
The army said the missile launch was part of “Exercise INDUS” without giving details about the exercise. (PTI)
The Indian government on Saturday issues a notification banning the entry of all Pakistan-flagged ships on Indian ports as the tensions between the two countries remain heightened after the Pahalgam terror attack. The order also bans any India-flagged ship from entering a Pakistani port.
India has banned direct or indirect import of all goods from Pakistan with immediate effect, according to a notification of the commerce ministry.
A provision in this regard has been added in Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 "to prohibit direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan with immediate effect until further orders", it said in the notification dated May 2.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in the notification said this restriction is imposed in the interest of national security and public policy. (PTI)
Pakistan on Friday said it has a “right” to seek a meeting of the United Nations Security Council when “appropriate” as tensions heightened with India after the Pahalgam terror attack.
“We see that all of this that is happening is in the context, in the backdrop of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir,” Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told a press conference here.
Ahmad was responding to a question on whether Pakistan is planning to ask for a meeting of the Security Council in the wake of rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people on April 22. (PTI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, where the latter expressed solidarity with India after the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam.
In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar said, "Appreciate the telecon with Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis of Switzerland. Thanked him for his support and solidarity. We agreed on zero tolerance for terrorism."
Civilians living along the LoC and International Border have begun cleaning their community and individual bunkers to make them habitable in case of an escalation to shelling.
Since the night of April 24, just hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following a terror attack in Pahalgam, Pakistani troops have been resorting to unprovoked firing at various places along the LoC in J&K, starting from the Kashmir Valley.
The post-to-post small arms firing between India and Pakistani troops continued in different sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir for the ninth consecutive night, officials said on Saturday.
However, there was no casualty in the border skirmishes initiated by Pakistan troops in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
This was the nine consecutive nights of unprovoked firing from across the border, which had mostly restricted to LoC. There was only one incident of firing along the International Border (IB).
Firing between the two sides comes amid heightened tensions following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
“During the night of May 2 and 3, Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked small arms fire across the Line of Control opposite the Kupwara, Uri, and Akhnoor areas of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
“Indian Army responded promptly and proportionately,” a defence spokesman said. (PTI)
Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong met the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Friday, news agency PTI reported. Zaidong, during the meeting, repeated China's earlier call to both India and Pakistan to "exercise restraint". While Zaidong said that he understands Pakistan's security concerns, he added that China was in support of an impartial probe into the incident.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday spoke to his European Union counterpart Kaja Kallas and discussed the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam. "Good to speak with EU HRVP @kajakallas this evening. Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Welcome European Union's strong condemnation of terrorism in all forms and manifestations," Jaishankar said in a post on X. Kallas, who also spoke to Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, called the rising tensions between India and Pakistan "alarming". "I urge both sides to show restraint and pursue dialogue to ease the situation. Escalation helps no one," she said.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's YouTube channel was blocked in India, amid rising tensions between the countries in the wake of the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam which resulted in the deaths of 26 people. "The content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order. For more details about government removal requests, please visit the Google Transparency Report," a message on the blocked channel said. The government has also blocked accounts of several Pakistani celebrities on social media, and 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading "false, provocative and communally sensitive content".
Pakistan might issue a formal diplomatic notice to India in the wake of the suspension of Indus Water Treaty, news agency PTI reported citing a media report on Friday. The decision to issue the notice was taken after discussions between Pakistan's ministries of Foreign Affairs, Law, and Water Resources, Express News reported quoting sources.
Senior leaders of the Indian National Congress on Friday discussed the Pahalgam terror attack during a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, news agency PTI reported. The CWC meet, chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, was also attended by Sonia Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal, and treasurer Ajay Maken. The Congress had previously held a meeting on the attack on April 24, and passed a resolution demanding strong action against the perpetrators.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed authorities to not deport six members of a family to Pakistan, while asking them to verify their documents, news agency PTI reported. The family, which had allegedly overstayed their visa, submitted identity documents to the court. "In the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case, authorities may not take coercive action till an appropriate decision is taken. If petitioners are dissatisfied by the final decision, they can approach J&K&L HC. Order not to be treated as precedent," a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said.
The family resides in Kashmir, with the sons working in Bengaluru. Advocate Nanda Kishore, appearing for the family, said the father had come to India in 1987 on a valid visa and surrendered the Pakistani passport at the border, the PTI report said.
Around 21 Pakistani nationals who were stranded at the Attari-Wagah border were allowed to cross over through the land route after the expiry of the Indian government's deadline asking them to leave the country, news agency PTI quoted officials as saying. After the terror attack on Kashmir's Pahalgam, the government had cancelled all types of visas granted to the Pakistani nationals, while asking them to leave the country till April 30.
Urging people not to “go after Muslims and Kashmiris”, Himanshi Narwal Thursday prayed for “peace” while laying emphasis on “justice” for her Naval officer husband, Lt Vinay Narwal, who was gunned down in Pahalgam just 10 days ago, on his birthday. Narwal would have turned 27 Thursday.
“We don’t want people to go after Muslims and Kashmiris. We want peace and only peace. Of course, we want justice. The people who have wronged him should be punished,” said Himanshi, who got married to Lt Narwal just a week before the April 22 terror attack that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.
She was speaking ahead of a blood donation camp organised at Karnal in Haryana. Himanshi and Narwal were on their honeymoon in Pahalgam when terrorists shot the Naval officer at point blank.
Fighting India, overtly and covertly, has historically been the raison d’être of the Pakistan Army. So when Pakistani terrorists shot dead 26 civilians near Pahalgam on April 22, all eyes turned to the Pakistan Army and its proxies.
Only a week ago, Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir, the most powerful man in Pakistan, had made a provocative speech which New Delhi views as having encouraged the terrorists.
Calling Kashmir Pakistan’s “jugular vein” — a framing first used by Muhammad Ali Jinnah — the Pak Army chief said in Islamabad on April 15 that Pakistan “will not leave its Kashmiri brothers.”
AS PART of its escalatory matrix against Pakistan for the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, India is considering two specific moves aimed at curbing financial flows that aid the neighbour fund terror activities.
The first is to make a concerted effort to try and bring back Pakistan into the ‘grey list’ of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terror financing watchdog, two people in the know told The Indian Express.
Pakistan was put in the ‘grey list’ in June 2018, and faced “increased monitoring” till it was removed in October 2022. Being in this list adversely impacts FDI and capital flows as businesses have to undertake enhanced due diligence. Government officials said this had helped curtail illicit fund flows from Pakistan into India, especially into J&K.
The second is to raise objections to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) continued financing of a $7-billion aid package that commenced July 2024, citing diversion of funds by Pakistan for nefarious activities and terror attacks, people in the know said.
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