Senior government committees convened on Tuesday to discuss India’s response to the latest terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 tourists lost their lives. The sessions came amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, with officials blaming cross-border links for the attack.
The Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met its second since-the-April-22-attack today. The CCS, as per sources, deliberated the earlier steps against Pakistan and suspended even considering suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Following the CCS meeting, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) convened to answer the call from the Opposition for a special session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam attack. Opposition party heads such as Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had urged PM Modi to summon a session to present a united face against terrorism.
Following the cabinet meetings, PM Modi was reported to have apprised senior Union ministers about the deliberations.
The CCS deplored strongly the attack in Pahalgam for the first time at its April 23 meeting and sent sympathies to the family members of victims. Highlighting cross-border connectivity to the attack, the CCS officials highlighting presentation told them that terrorists had attempted to ruin recent polls held successfully in Jammu and Kashmir besides demolishing economic progress made here.
Locals staged demonstrations against the attack, regarding it as a bid to restrict the region from visitation through discouragement of tourists and a paralyzation of activity.
Despite the attack and later closure of a number of tourists’ sites, tourists are planning to proceed with travel. They believed in the security situation of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I received news of the terror attack on 22nd evening. Our flight was on 23rd morning at 5.30. At first, our whole family was scared whether to go or not. But our uncle said come on, ‘Let’s go,’ and we reached. Now we are here in Pahalgam, and everything is okay,” said tourist Keval Patel of Ahmedabad in an interview to news agency ANI.
Reports indicate that PM Modi reaffirmed India’s resolve to tackle terrorism effectively and was assured about the Indian armed forces’ prowess.
