International Desk //

26 people were killed in Tuesday’s horrific attack in Pahalgam, Indian Kashmir. The Kashmir-based armed group The Resistance Force (TRF) has claimed responsibility for the attack on ‘tourists’.

A statement claiming responsibility for the attack on Wednesday said, ‘Those targeted were not ordinary tourists. They had contacts and connections with the Indian security forces. They were members of a secret organization. They came here to conduct research under the guise of tourists.’

The group that claimed responsibility for the horrific attack has threatened to expand its operations in Kashmir. The TRF also said in the statement that the attack is a warning to the Indian government.

The group said, ‘This is not just a warning to New Delhi. This is also a warning to those who support New Delhi’s questionable policies.

However, the Indian government has not commented on the TRF’s demands so far.

Meanwhile, after the Pehalgam attack, an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took five decisions against the neighboring country, implicitly blaming Pakistan.

The decisions are:

1. Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. India says that it will remain suspended until Pakistan stops terrorism on the border and does not abandon support for terrorism. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960, in Karachi by the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Field Marshal Ayub Khan. This much-discussed agreement was signed under the mediation of the World Bank.

2. The Attari-Wagah border will be closed immediately. Those who have valid documents will be able to cross the border before May 1.

3. Pakistani nationals will not be allowed to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). Any SVES visa issued to Pakistani nationals in the past will be considered cancelled. Pakistani nationals currently in India on SVES visas have also been asked to leave India within 48 hours.

4. The military, naval and air advisors of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi have been declared ‘persona non grata’. They will be given a week to leave India. India is withdrawing the defence, naval and air advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions have been declared abolished. It has also been announced that five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both the High Commissions.

5. It has been decided to reduce the overall strength of the High Commission from 55 to 30. This will be effective by May 1.

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