24
Apr
Apr
INDIA-PAKISTAN TENSIONS ESCALATE AFTER KASHMIR ATTACK
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CapitalTimesNews / 4 days
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- 2 min read
India has closed its main border crossing with Pakistan, expelled military diplomats, and suspended the landmark Indus Waters Treaty following a brutal attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people. The attack, which targeted tourists near the town of Pahalgam, has been denied by Pakistan, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claiming it could be a possible Indian “false flag operation”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers “to the ends of the Earth” and punish those responsible. “Our enemies have dared to attack the country’s soul,” he said, adding that the terrorists will get a “punishment bigger than they can imagine”. The Indian government has detained around 1,500 people across Kashmir for questioning in connection with the attack. Police have announced a reward of 2m rupees for information on the attackers and have named three suspected gunmen, two of whom are Pakistani nationals, as members of the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Kashmiri students in parts of India are facing harassment in the aftermath of the attack, with reports of them being threatened, assaulted, and abused by right-wing and fringe elements. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has assured that his government is in touch with officials to ensure their safety. US Vice-President JD Vance, who was in India during the attack, has condemned the “horrific” incident and expressed solidarity with India and the victims. The attack has cast a shadow over India’s diplomatic relations with Pakistan, with the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty expected to have significant implications for millions in Pakistan who rely on the Indus system for agriculture and daily needs. The treaty, signed in 1960, governs the sharing of the Indus River system between India and Pakistan. Its suspension could provoke a diplomatic fallout, international criticism, and retaliatory measures by Pakistan. As tensions escalate, the situation remains grim, with both countries locked in a decades-long dispute over Kashmir.
