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Indian-origin UK MP Priti Patel condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people, calling it an “act of terrorism”. Speaking at the UK Parliament, Ms Patel urged the British government to support India during the difficult times and pressed on working together to tackle the terrorist threats.
On April 26, US President Donald Trump had said that there have always been tensions between India and Pakistan, and the two countries will figure it out between themselves “one way or the other”.
“I am very close to India and I’m very close to Pakistan, as you know. And they’ve had that fight for 1,000 years in Kashmir. Kashmir has been going on for 1,000 years, probably longer than that. And it was a bad one yesterday, though; that was a bad one. Over 30 people,” Trump said during a press gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One on the way to Rome.
The US has encouraged India and Pakistan to “de-escalate tensions”, reaffirming its commitment to cooperate with Delhi against terrorism and urging Islamabad’s cooperation in investigating the “unconscionable” Pahalgam terror attack.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the “horrific” terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
- Rubio “reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism.
- Rubio urged Pakistani officials’ cooperation in investigating “this unconscionable attack.”
- Rubio and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif “reaffirmed their continued commitment to holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence.”
In the wake of a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives, India has reached out to its counterparts from eight non-permanent member nations of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as part of its diplomatic offensive.
In telephonic conversations with Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Wednesday, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is understood to have conveyed to him India’s resolve to bring the perpetrators of the April 22 attack to justice.
Popular Pakistani artists, including actors Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir and Ali Zafar, found their Instagram accounts blocked in India on Wednesday evening, days after a deadly attack in Kashmir targeting tourists that New Delhi blames on Islamabad.
The move to block the actors’ accounts comes on the heels of the government banning 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content.
Hania Aamir, who is popular with Indian fans for her Pakistani dramas “Mere Humsafar” and “Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum”, commenting on the Pahalgam attack said tragedy anywhere is a tragedy for all.
The Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked small arms firing across the Line of Control towards the Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor sectors in Jammu and Kashmir, violating ceasefire for the seventh consecutive night.
The firing was responded proportionately by the Indian Army.
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Mohammad Asim Malik has been appointed the country’s new National Security Adviser (NSA), the Express Tribune reported.
The appointment is an additional charge given to him apart from the ISI chief position he has held since September 2024.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday called Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif amid rising tensions with India following the Pahalgam attack last week that killed 26 people.
The development comes after US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce at a press briefing earlier on Tuesday said that Washington is reaching out to both India and Pakistan “regarding the Kashmir situation” and telling “them not to escalate the situation”.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials to review the prevailing security scenario in Jammu & Kashmir, a release said.
According to the release, the meeting was attended by Nalin Prabhat, DGP Jammu and Kashmir, Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary Home, Nitish Kumar, ADGP CID Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor, Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu and Shiv Kumar Sharma, DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range.
“It is the collective resolve of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the nation to destroy the root of terror emanating from our neighbourhood. We must be resolute to fulfil this mission. Take strong action against OGWs who are providing logistics to terrorists, identifying targets for them and helping them to escape. The infrastructure and support system of terrorism in every nook and corner of the Union Territory has to be dismantled permanently. It should be our priority to ensure a sense of security for the common man,” the LG said.
Pakistan on Wednesday said it has nothing to do with the Pahalgam terror attack and threatened a strong response if it is “provoked”, amid rising tensions with India.
Addressing a press conference alongside Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, Ishaq Dar demanded an independent and transparent probe by neutral investigators in the Pahalgam attack.
The press conference came hours after Information Minister Attaullah Tarar warned of a possible military action by India in 24-36 hours.
Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the escalation was still on the rise despite efforts by the international community to calm the tempers.
