Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan following Tuesday’s attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir.
The two countries have imposed tit-for-tat diplomatic measures over a deadly shooting in Kashmir.
Relations have plunged to their lowest level in years, with India accusing Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism”, after gunmen carried out the worst attack on civilians in contested Muslim-majority Kashmir in a quarter of a century.
The brazen assault has derailed Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s claims of restored calm in the restive Himalayan territory.
As tensions rise between the two countries, the United Nations has appealed to India and Pakistan to show “maximum restraint.”
Speaking to reporters, UN Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric urged both countries to ensure that the situation and the developments “we’ve seen do not deteriorate any further.”
“Any issues between Pakistan and India, we believe, can be and should be resolved peacefully through meaningful mutual engagement.”
Stephane Dujarric
An obscure group called The Resistance Front has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Indian officials say it’s a proxy for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba or a similar outfit. Islamabad denied involvement, accusing India of failing to provide proof.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised in a speech on Thursday, April 24, 2025, to hunt the Pahalgam gunmen to the “ends of the earth” after Indian police identified two of the three fugitive gunmen as Pakistani.
Indian police say that the three gunmen are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation. They offered a bounty of 2m rupees ($23,500) for information leading to each man’s arrest.
New Delhi has also suspended India’s participation in from the Indus Waters Treaty and sealed its main land border with Pakistan among other retaliatory measures.
On Thursday, Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif also paused a canal irrigation project.
Pakistan, among other retaliatory moves, ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals – with the exception of Sikh pilgrims – and closing the main border crossing from its side.
It also warned any attempt by India to stop the supply of water from the Indus River would be an “act of war.”
In a statement released by his office, Sharif said that while Pakistan is concerned about the loss of the tourists’ lives [in Indian-administered Kashmir], “the Committee reviewed the Indian measures announced on 23 April 2025 and termed them unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible and devoid of legal merit.”
The statement added that in the absence of any credible investigation and verifiable evidence, attempts to link the Pahalgam attack with Pakistan are “frivolous, devoid of rationality and defeat logic.”
India’s Army Chief Set To Lead A High-Level Security Review
Meanwhile, India’s Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi is set to lead a high-level security review in Srinagar today, Friday, April 25, 2025.
General Upendra Dwivedi’s visit to the regional capital underscores a sharp increase in military and diplomatic activity.
India on Thursday began large-scale air and naval drills, which analysts say could pave the way for military action.
The Indian Air Force’s Gaganshakti exercises, showcasing its Rafale jets and elite strike squadrons, have assumed added urgency, while the navy has intensified manoeuvres and test-fired a surface-to-air missile.
Veteran Analyst, C. Raja Mohan wrote in an Indian newspaper, “There are many imponderables Modi must deal with, including the significant capabilities of the Pakistan Army.”
“But given the horrific nature of the attack and the outrage that has convulsed the nation – the victims came from 15 states across India – the PM may have no option but to explore some major risks.”
C. Raja Mohan
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since its independence in 1947, with both claiming the territory in full but governing separate portions of it.
Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.
