Chief of People's Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of all states to intervene and ensure the safety of Kashmiri students living in the country.

Taking to social media X, Ms Mufti wrote, "Receiving distressed calls from Kashmiri students across India living in fear due to ongoing unrest. Some institutions have postponed exams & advised students to return home until normalcy is restored, while others have decided otherwise. Urge Amit Shah and the the Chief Ministers of all states to intervene and ensure the safety of all students until they can safely return home."

Ms Mufti said that a strong message must be sent to those spreading communal hate on social media. "Such divisive forces must be identified and dealt with firmly to maintain peace and harmony," she added.

Receiving distressed calls from Kashmiri students across India living in fear due to ongoing unrest. Some institutions have postponed exams & advised students to return home until normalcy is restored while others have decided otherwise. Urge @AmitShah and Chief Ministers of all…

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) April 29, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a key meeting on security tomorrow. It will be the second meeting since the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. The terrorist attack took 26 lives, including a Kashmiri local. 
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) - the country's highest decision-making body on national security - will hold a meeting around 11 am. Security preparations are likely to be discussed at this meeting.

After the CCS meeting, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) will also meet under the chairmanship of PM Modi.

Read more.

Four counter-terrorism operations are underway in Kashmir today, officials said, amid an intensified security crackdown across the region, days after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which left 26 people dead.

Samreen, a Pakistani national at the Attari Border, stated that she got married in India after coming here in September with a 45-day visa, but now she has to leave the country as she hasn't been issued her long-term visa.

"I came here in September with a 45-day visa. After that, I got married here. I have not got my long-term visa yet, and now suddenly I have been asked to leave the country. The terrorists should be questioned. What is our fault? Why are we being punished? The people who have relatives in the country should be allowed to stay," Samreen said.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has shut dozens of resorts and more than half of the tourist destinations in the Union territory. The preventive move came amid security concerns, days after a terror attack at the scenic meadows of Pahalgam left 26 civilians dead.

At least 48 resorts have been shut in the Union territory known for its serene valleys and picturesque mountains. Several tourist sites like Doodhpatri in Budgam and Verinag in Anantnag have also been made out of bounds to tourists.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh backed Congress' call for a special session of the Parliament in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that took 26 lives.

Mr Singh said that leaders of political parties could keep their views, suggestions and question the preparations being done by the government in the special session.

"If the government can call an all-party meeting, then it should not have a problem with convening a special session of the Parliament on such a big issue. In the Parliament, leaders of different political parties can keep their views, suggestions and also ask about the preparations being done by the government," Mr Singh said speaking to news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Lucknow, UP: AAP MP Sanjay Singh says "If the government can call an all-party meeting, then it should not have a problem with convening a special session of the Parliament on such a big issue. In the Parliament, leaders of different political parties can keep their… pic.twitter.com/sDDz6LiIq8

— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2025

My letter to PM Modi requesting a special session of both houses of Parliament to be convened at the earliest.
At this critical time, India must show that we always stand together against terrorism. pic.twitter.com/7AIXGqBqTl

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 29, 2025

Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has written to the Prime Minister, requesting a special Parliament session to discuss Pahalgam terror attack.

"At this moment, when unity and solidarity is essential, Opposition believes that it is important to convene a special session of both houses of Parliament at the earliest. This will be a powerful demonstration of our collective resolve and will to deal with the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam on innocent citizens on 22 April 2025," he wrote.

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir for the fifth straight night, with the Indian Army responding in a "measured and effective" manner, officials said this morning.

India has flagged a Pakistan minister's "open confession" to training and funding terrorists, at the United Nations, as tensions soared between the two nations in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif had admitted in a recent interview that his country has backed terrorism over the years. This confession was not surprising and it exposed Pakistan as a "rogue state" that has been fuelling global terrorism, said Ambassador Yojna Patel, India's Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN.

Kobbi Shoshani, Consul General of Israel to Midwest India, said on Monday that the terrorist attack in Kashmir that happened a few days ago is "unacceptable" and called the photos that emerged from there "heartbreaking." He said that Pakistan needs to deal with the terrorist activities that they have carried out in Kashmir.

A tourist who was on a zipline ride during a trip to Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam last week inadvertently captured the terrorist attack that left 26 civilians dead, according to a new video that has emerged on social media.

China said it welcomes all measures to "cool down" the tension between India and Pakistan after the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists. “China welcomes all measures that are conducive to cooling down the current situation and supports an impartial investigation as soon as possible,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the country has to remain united to give a befitting reply to Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack.

Addressing a panchayat election rally in Sonitpur district, Mr Sarma said, “We, Indians, have to remain united and reply together for the Pahalgam attack… We have to support our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji at this moment so that he can not only eliminate the terrorists, but also ensure that Pakistan never dares to cast its evil eye on us again.” Assam and its people are always with the prime minister, he said.

Diplomats from Russia and China met in Moscow today to discuss counter-terrorism amid tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

The two sides discussed regional and global terrorist threats, the situation in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and shared national experiences in countering terrorist ideology, radicalisation, and extremism.

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has slammed the Karnataka government over compensation to Pahalgam victims. “If such an amount had been kept in a fixed deposit in a bank, the families could have survived and educated their children with the interest earned. In the neighbouring state of Kerala, the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had given Rs 15 lakh to victims who had died in an elephant attack. But here, despite the horrific nature of the terrorist attack, the Karnataka government failed to provide even that much, expressing disappointment over the state government's attitude,” he said while addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters ‘Jagannath Bhavan’ in Bengaluru.

Determined to put an end to controversies arising from its leaders' off-the-cuff remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack, the Congress leadership has asked party members to avoid making unnecessary remarks.

More than 1,000 Indians have left Pakistan for their home via the Wagah border over the last six days after they were forced to cut short their visits because of the cancellation of visas in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, an official said on Monday.

"Over 1,000 Indians have left Pakistan for their home via the Wagah border over the last six days. Similarly, more than 800 Pakistanis have returned home by Monday," a government official told PTI.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Monday registered an FIR against two unidentified persons for allegedly abusing and assaulting a 23-year-old man on the Bhopal-Indore passenger train, an official said.

The victim claimed he was attacked over watching a reel regarding the Pahalgam terror attack, which upset the accused.

The victim stated that on April 27, while travelling in the general coach of the Bhopal-Indore passenger train, he was watching a reel related to the Pahalgam terror attack on his mobile phone.

The complainant stated that two unidentified men started arguing with him, saying that he was watching this reel by looking at them.

Hitting out strongly at Pakistan politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's "blood will flow" remark, AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has said the Pakistan People's Party leader should remember who killed his mother and former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and his grandfather and the country's former President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Bilawal Bhutto, who served as Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Minister till 2023 and continues to be part of the ruling coalition, had responded strongly to India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that left 25 tourists and a Kashmiri dead on April 22. "The Indus is ours and will remain ours - either our water will flow through it, or their blood," he was quoted as saying in a rally on Friday. The remarks drew strong responses in India as politicians cutting across party lines hit out at the PPP leader.

Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil has slammed Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari over his "blood would flow in rivers if water is stopped" remark, stating that such bravado means nothing and dared him to come to India if he has the courage.

Mr Paatil was responding to the provocative remarks made by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader in the wake of India suspending the Indus Water Treaty with the neighbouring nation following the Pahalgam terror attack.

"Modiji says 'jal hai to bal hai, (water is strength). Modi sahab has said Pakistan should not get water (under Indus Water Treaty). It happened that Bilawal got furious. He says that if the water is not supplied in the river, a river of blood will flow in India," Mr Paatil said while addressing a function in Surat on Sunday.

"Will we be scared? I tell him (Bhutto) that brother, if you have even a little courage, then come here. Without worrying about such bravado, it is our responsibility to save water," the BJP MP said.

India's military spending in 2024 was nearly nine times that of Pakistan's expenditure, according to a study released on Monday by a leading Swedish think-tank that comes amid growing tensions between the two countries over the Pahalgam attack.

India's military expenditure, the fifth largest globally, grew by 1.6 per cent to USD 86.1 billion while Pakistan's spent USD 10.2 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The top five military spenders -- the United States, China, Russia, Germany and India -- accounted for 60 per cent of the global total, with combined spending of USD 1635 billion, it said.

China's military expenditure increased by 7.0 per cent to an estimated USD 314 billion, marking three decades of consecutive growth, the study noted.

All Pakistani citizens barring one have been "expelled" from Uttar Pradesh under the Centre's orders after the Pahalgam terror attack, the state government said on Monday.

The last Pakistani citizen is set to be deported on Wednesday and is under constant surveillance by police and intelligence agencies, the government said in a statement.

In response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, the central government had issued immediate advisories for all states to repatriate Pakistani nationals.

Director General of Police Prashant Kumar confirmed that under the chief minister's guidance, comprehensive steps were implemented statewide to repatriate Pakistani nationals, according to the statement.

"100 per cent of Pakistani citizens have been deported, with local police teams escorting them to the border. Only one Pakistani national remains, set to be deported on April 30," the DGP was quoted in the statement.

"Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the first state in India to execute such swift and comprehensive action against Pakistani citizens, ensuring their return with full verification at the border," it added. 

Sending a strong message in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said his politics is not so "cheap" that he would use this tragedy as an opportunity to press for his government's demand for statehood.

"Jammu and Kashmir is currently not the elected government's responsibility. But I don't want to use this as an opportunity to demand statehood. How can I use the Pahalgam tragedy to ask the Centre for statehood? Is my politics so cheap? Do I value these 26 lives so little? We have spoken about statehood earlier and will do so in the future. But shame on me if I go to the Centre and ask for it now. At this point, no politics, no business rules, no statehood. This time is only for the strong condemnation of this attack and heartfelt support for the victims," he told the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly during a special session.

Police have registered a case of sedition against folk singer Neha Singh Rathore over a complaint that her provocative social media posts targeting a particular faith community in the wake of the Pahalgam tragedy could harm the nation's unity.

According to reports nearly 700 have left through the Attari-Wagah border crossing alone since Thursday, including tourists and those who came to India for medical treatment. Many recognise they have no choice, but expressed sorrow and even questioned the circumstances.

One woman, before crossing the Attari-Wagah border, said she had gone to visit Nagpur in Maharashtra. She also pointed out she was being 'punished' for another's sin.

In the immediate term, India can hurt Pakistan by halting data-sharing, publicising new projects, optimising existing dams and escalating diplomatic pressure, thereby causing public anxiety in the already water-stressed country.

China on Monday urged India and Pakistan to "exercise restraint" after New Delhi's army said soldiers from the two countries exchanged gunfire in disputed Kashmir for a fourth night in a row.

"China hopes that the two sides will exercise restraint, meet each other halfway, properly handle relevant differences through dialogue and consultation and jointly maintain regional peace and stability," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

In a powerful speech in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said every part of the country, from north to south, and from east to west, came in the throes of this heinous act. The National Conference leader said that the whole of Kashmir is united against this attack and that this may mark the "beginning of the end of terror" in the Valley.

The Chief Minister said Jammu and Kashmir had started feeling that such attacks were behind it. "Unfortunately, Baisaran has created the same situation when we feel where the next attack will be. I was with the Leader of the Opposition in the police control room when we paid tribute to these people. I had no words to apologise to the victims' families," he said.

During the 40-minute meeting at PM Narendra Modi's residence, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed him about the security preparedness.

The Jammu and Kashmir assembly passed a resolution condemning the Pahalgam terror attack. Calling it an attack on "Kashmiriyat", the assembly said, "we are with the families of victims."

The assembly appealed for a "united response" against the "cowardly attack" and said that this should be the last-ever terror attack.

#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir Assembly condemns #PahalgamTerroristAttack
Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary says, "This House unequivocally condemns the heinous, cowardly act that resulted in the loss of innocent lives. This House stands in full solidarity with the victims and their… pic.twitter.com/BaIaLXpy3L

— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2025

The Centre has warned BBC over a headline that read, "Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack on tourists". Several social media users had pointed out that the headline read as if "India killed the tourists".

The External Publicity Department of the Ministry of External Affairs has said the country's "strong sentiments" have been conveyed to Jackie Martin, India Head for BBC, regarding their reporting on the terror attack, sources have said. A formal letter to BBC referring to terrorists as militants has also been sent. The government, the sources said, will monitor BBC's reporting.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence to brief him on security preparedness following the Pahalgam terror attack. This comes a day after Mr Singh met the Chief of General Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan to discuss the key decisions taken up by the military to counter Pakistan following the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

16 Pakistani YouTube channels with a total of 63 million subscribers have been banned in India for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, according to government sources. The YouTube channels have been banned on the Union Home Ministry's recommendations.

The banned platforms include YouTube channels of news outlets Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News and Suno News. YouTube channels of journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema and Muneeb Farooq have also been banned. Other handles that have been banned include The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket and Razi Naama.

Upon trying to access either of the 16 banned YouTube channels, a message shows: "This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order. For more details about government removal requests, please visit the Google Transparency Report (transparencyreport.google.com)."

Following the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir on April 22, in which 22 people died, the Railway Police has tightened security across public places in Mumbai. Effective monitoring is being done through 10,000 CCTV cameras at the stations and their surrounding areas.
There are 139 railway stations on the Central and Western Railways, from which about 3,200 local trains ply daily. 75-80 lakh passengers travel by these trains every day.

Security arrangements have been especially strengthened at major stations like Churchgate, Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra Terminus, Borivali on Western Railway route and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Kalyan on the Central Railway.

Actor Atul Kulkarni visited Pahalgam days after the deadly terror attack killed 25 tourists and a Kashmiri local in the Baisaran meadow. Mr Kulkarni visited Kashmir to give a message that he thinks he couldn't give sitting in Mumbai.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Mr Kulkarni said, "I remembered reading that 90% of the bookings here (Kashmir) had been cancelled. So I felt--what message are they trying to send by doing this? They're basically saying, 'Don't come to Kashmir.' And the response we should give is, 'We will come. Kashmir is ours.' But I couldn't give that message while sitting in Mumbai. It was important that I come here myself."

In California's Fremont, over 400 people, including many Kashmiri Pandits, allies, and friends, gathered to raise their voices against the Pahalgam terror attack and the ongoing persecution of Hindus in Kashmir.

#WATCH | United Kingdom: Members of the Indian diaspora counter the Pakistani protest outside the Indian High Commission in London. #PahalgamTerroristAttack pic.twitter.com/woLKqFhE0E

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2025

Businessman Robert Vadra on Monday clarified his recent remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack and stated that his intentions were "misinterpreted", further stating that it was his responsibility to clarify them.

Mr Vadra also stated that he strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack and stood with India.

Clarifying himself with "honesty, transparency, and respect", Mr Vadra wrote, "I strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that took the lives of innocent people and shattered their families. I stand with India and will always do so. There is no argument - political, religious or ideological - that can be used to stop this attack."

"Violence against innocent and unarmed people cannot be condoned," Mr Vadra added.

On April 23, Mr Vadra termed the Pahalgam attack as "cowardly" and had said that such attacks failed to serve any legitimate purpose and only deepened societal divisions.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 11am. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will also be a part of the meeting. This comes a day after Mr Singh met the Chief of General Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan to discuss the key decisions taken up by the military to counter Pakistan following the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

Slamming Pakistan once again for the terror attack at Pahalgam, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday said that Pakistan is half a century behind India.

Mr Owaisi was addressing a public meeting at Prabhani in Maharashtra to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

The Hyderabad MP came down heavily on Pakistan for the terror attack. He also dismissed the threats of Pakistani leaders. “You are not just half an hour behind, you are half a century behind India. Your country's budget is not even equal to our military budget,” he said.

“Pakistan repeatedly says that they have nuclear bombs, atomic bombs. Remember, if you go into another country and kill innocent people, no country will remain silent."

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday conveyed to his British counterpart David Lammy, India's policy of "zero tolerance" for terrorism while discussing the "cross-border" links to the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam.

Citing "cross-border linkages" to the horrific Pahalgam attack, India has promised severe punishment to those involved in the strike that triggered wide-spread outrage within India and abroad.

The Pakistan Foreign Office said Deputy Prime Minister Dar spoke to Mr Lammy and "reiterated Pakistan's unwavering resolve to defend its national interests while continuing to promote peace and stability in the region".

Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing, violating the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir for the fourth straight night, officials said this morning.

The exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops started after 26 people were killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last Tuesday.