A day after gunmen killed 26 people at a Himalayan tourist attraction in Indian-administered Kashmir, India has announced measures against Pakistan, as it blames the country for the Kashmir attack. These include the closure of the main border crossing linking the two countries, the suspension of a landmark water-sharing treaty, the expulsion of diplomats and an order for some Pakistani visa holders to leave within 48 hours.
According to a statement made by Pakistan’s foreign minister, officials from the country are scheduled to meet on Thursday to come up with a response. Pakistan has denied being involved in the attack.
The attack in Pahalgam was one of the deadliest in recent memory for the restive region, and is threatening to aggravate already icy bilateral ties. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in its entirety, but they only control a portion of it. Since India’s partition and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought wars over the territory.
Indian Government Response
The Indian government has responded furiously to the attack and has signalled it holds Pakistan indirectly responsible. India has long accused successive Islamabad governments of providing support to armed groups in the region. Pakistan strongly refutes this accusation. “Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X.. “Our unwavering determination to defeat terrorism will only grow.”
Read More: Who’s Behind the Deadly Kashmir Attack? 26 Lives Lost in Pahalgam Horror
Additionally, India has stated that it would revoke the Indus Water Treaty, which has been in effect since 1960 and has survived decades of hostile diplomacy. The treaty gives India control over the eastern rivers, and Pakistan the western ones, of the Indus River and its tributaries. The agreement stipulates that India must, with few exceptions, allow water from the western rivers to flow downstream into Pakistan.
Indian security agencies believe the attack was carried out by a group known as the Kashmir Resistance. A manhunt for the gunmen responsible was continuing on Wednesday evening.
Pakistan’s Reaction
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, the Pakistani foreign ministry said it was “concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives” and expressed condolences. The statement stated that additional diplomatic expulsions were planned for the following week as part of the measures that India announced on Wednesday. The measures instructed Pakistani military advisers based at the Delhi embassy to leave immediately.
The Pahalgam attack risks reigniting long-running tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also signalled India’s response would go beyond targeting the perpetrators. He stated, “We will not only reach those who have perpetrated this incident but also those who have conspired to commit such acts on the soil of India from behind the scenes.” The attack has been widely condemned by international leaders and has generated outrage and mourning in India.
Holidaymakers, including entire families, fled for their lives, according to eyewitnesses. While some witnesses have described the shooting as random, others have suggested that the gunmen appeared to be targeting non-Muslims. The majority of the victims were Hindu men, but there was also a local Muslim victim. “We cannot get over the fact that such an incident has occurred, and that too in the place we call heaven on earth,” Akib Chaya, a hotel owner and a member of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce.
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