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Friday, 25 April, 2025 I 26 Shawwal, 1446
Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 288 I 8 Pages I Lahore Edition
USURPATION OF WATER SHARE TO BE CONSIDERED ‘ACT OF WAR,’ PAKISTAN RETALIATES AGAINST INDIA’S ESCALATING MOVES PAHALGAM ATTACK
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NSC MEETING CHAIRED BY PM SHEHBAZ TAKES A HOST OF DECISIONS TO COUNTER INDIA’S ESCALATING MOVES
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FORUM REJECTS INDIAN ANNOUNCEMENT TO HOLD IWT IN ABEYANCE, NOTING PACT WAS A BINDING INT’L AGREEMENT
COMMITTEE DECIDES TO CLOSE AIRSPACE FOR ALL INDIAN OWNED OR INDIAN OPERATED AIRLINES ISLAMABAD
SALEEM JADOON
AKISTAN on Thursday announced “a whole host of retaliatory actions,” including the suspension of trade and bilateral accords, and closure of airspaces with India, following New Delhi’s slew of aggressive measures against the country in the wake of the deadly attack in India Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Pakistan charted the retaliatory actions in response to India during a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) convened in Islamabad with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair. The NSC meeting was attended by top government and military officials, including Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, Chairman Joint Chiefs Committee Gen Sahir Shamshad, the defence minister, foreign minister, interior minister and national security adviser among others, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after the meeting. In the attack in Pahalgam, a tourist attraction in India-occupied Kashmir, gunmen killed at least 26 tourists and injured 17 others. Following the attack, India on Wednesday announced suspension of Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and closure of Attari border checkpost. Addressing the media, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated
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ist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of the elections in the union territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development. Recognising the seriousness of this terrorist attack,
ISLAMABAD
present at the presser. He rattled off the NSC’s decisions, saying that Pakistan had responded in kind to the Indian announcements. Dar said Pakistan had noted the arrival of some “foreign nationals” in Srinagar who were under monitoring by intelligence agencies. “We know that Indian intelligence is supporting them and the foreigners are trying to export IEDs (improvised explosive devices). You can imagine where they are trying to export them,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s armed forces were ready to respond to any challenge. “We are prepared in regard to defence. If anyone tries to attempt any adventure, then they’ve tried in the past as well and failed so this time around it will be even worse for them.”
Dar asks India to present evidence of allegations against Pakistan
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday challenged India to present evidence, if it had any, of Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the deadly Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir. “India is habitual of playing the blame game and if there is any evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in Pahalgam attack, please share it with us and the world,” DPM Dar said while addressing a press conference after the National Security Committee meeting. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan were alos
DECIDES TO SUSPEND ALL BILATERAL AGREEMENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SIMLA AGREEMENT
TRADE WITH INDIA INCLUDING TO AND FROM ANY THIRD COUNTRY THROUGH PAKISTAN SUSPENDED FORTHWITH
that a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), India’s highest decisionmaking body on national security, was held with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the chair on the incident. “In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terror-
STAFF REPORT
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the CCS decided upon the following measures: the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.” According to PMO statement, the partic-
ipants discussed the national security environment and the regional situation, particularly in the wake of Pahalgam attack in the Anantnag District of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday last.
NEW DELHI
supporting “cross-border terrorism” and downgraded ties with its neighbour with a raft of diplomatic measures. Despite Pakistan’s categorical denial regarding its role in the incident, PM Modiled government has since then suspended the Indus Water Treaty and banned the entry of Pakistani nationals. Apart from the immediate closure of the Integrated Check Post Attari, New Delhi has also asked military, naval and air advisers in the Pakistani High Commission to leave the country within a week while declaring them persona non grata. Recalling its own advisers, the neighbouring country has also announced the overall strength of the High Commissions to 30 from the present 55 by May 1 — which is also the deadline for Pakistanis to leave the country.
Modi vows to punish Pahalgam attack perpetrators, backers AGENCIES
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed to punish backers and those responsible for carrying out attack against tourists in the Pahalgam area in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), resulting in over two dozen fatalities. “I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer [….] We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth,” PM Modi said while addressing a gathering in the state of Bihar. The shooting in the tourist hotpot on Tuesday — the deadliest attack on civilians in the disputed Muslim-majority territory since 2000 — has led to critical diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad after the former accused the latter of
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