External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence in the national capital on Friday.
The meeting was convened in response to the terrorist attack that occurred in Pahalgam on Tuesday, during which 26 individuals, mostly tourists, including one Nepalese national, were brutally gunned down.
The terrorist attack in Pahalgam occurred on Tuesday at Baisaran meadow, where terrorists targeted tourists, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, and leaving several others injured. It was one of the deadliest attacks in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF jawans.
Following the attack, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi reached Srinagar on Friday and took stock of the situation in the valley.
On Thursday, the Central government convened an all-party meeting to deliberate on the security situation and formulate a collective response to the attack.
After attending the all-party meeting convened by the central government, Rahul Gandhi said, “Everyone condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The opposition has given full support to the government in taking any action.”
The central government has taken strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.
In the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, India decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism and has closed the integrated Attari Check Post.
India has also declared the officials of the Pakistani High Commission persona non grata and ordered them to leave India within a week. The country further decided to cancel any visas provided under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and ordered Pakistan to leave the country within 48 hours.
The Government of India has also decided to suspend visa services for Pakistani nationals, effective immediately. All existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals will stand revoked, effective from 27 April 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a press release. (ANI)
