DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2025, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 PRIMEMINISTERCHAIRSCCSMEET, ARMEDFORCESGETINSTRUCTIONS SHAHGOESTOSITEOFATTACK The first step Defence Minister meets services chiefs for enhanced combat readiness, operations near Pahalgam, meets victim families, survivors Terrorists targeted innocents & religion, there will be a strong response: Rajnath DIVYA A, AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA & LIZ MATHEW NEW DELHI, APRIL 23 ASBODIESof touristskilledinthe terrorattacknearPahalgamwere flowntohomesacrossthecountryWednesday,grief gavewayto anger and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who underlined that lives of “many innocent citizens” were lost in “a cowardly attackbyterroristswhomadereligionatarget(dharmakonishana banatehuay)”,assuredthenation of a “strong response”. Hesaidthegovernment“will take every step that is necessary and appropriate”. “And we will Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a meeting of the CCS in New Delhi, Wednesday. ANI SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, APRIL 23 UNDERLINING THE “the crossborderlinkagesoftheterroristattack” near Pahalgam that killed 26 people, India Wednesday put on hold the Indus Waters Treaty, downgraded diplomatic relations with Pakistan by reducing the mission strength by half, expelleddiplomatsandtopdefence officials from the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, cancelled all visas granted to Pakistan nationals under a SAARC scheme and directed them to leave in 48 hours,andshuttheAttari-Wagah border. It also withdrew its own advisors and staff from its mission in Islamabad. This full-scale diplomatic retaliationbyDelhiisthestrongest since 2019 when the diplomatic strength was reduced by half from 110 to 55. Now it has been CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE 5 DECISIONS ■ Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 put on hold ■ Attari Integrated Check Post shut ■ SAARC visa scheme for Pakistanis stopped ■ Military advisers in Pak mission to leave ■ High Commission strength cut to 30 THE EDITORIAL PAGE GRIEF & HEALING In wake of Pahalgam outrage, there is need to remember: Way forward must build on hard-won gains in Kashmir PAGE8 E EXPLAINED Govt suspends Indus treaty, expels Pak advisors, cancels visas, closes Attari Clear, firm message ● to Pak WITH THE world rallying behind India, the government is weighing several options, military and diplomatic. Rajnath Singh’s promise of a “strong response” is a firm message to Pakistan which has refused to turn off the terror tap. not only trace those who perpetrated this incident. We will also CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Pak denies any role, India points out cross-border attack links SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, APRIL 23 ADAYafter25touristsandalocal residentwerekilledinaterrorattack in J&K’s Pahalgam, Pakistan claimedthatithad“nothingtodo withit”—adenialthatleftIndian officialsunconvincedwithinitial investigations suggesting the presence of “foreign nationals” among the attackers. Later, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri underlined that “cross-border linkages of the terroristattack”werebroughtoutin the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting Wednesday. “We have absolutely nothing to do with it. We reject terrorism CONTINUEDONPAGE2 Among victims from state, father-son duo in Kashmir to attend Ram Katha, Wedding, honeymoon, cremation: ‘Never SBI manager on a holiday with family thought it would turn into a nightmare’ RITU SHARMA Himanshi Narwal, wife of Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal who was killed in the terror attack near Pahalgam, at the cremation ground in Karnal on Wednesday. Jasbir Malhi VARINDER BHATIA & JASBIR MALHI CHANDIGARH, KARNAL, APRIL 23 April 16: Destination wedding, Mussoorie. April 19: Wedding reception, Karnal. April 21: Honeymoon, Kashmir. April 23: Cremation, Karnal. BARELY A week after Vinay Lieutenant Vinay Narwal NarwalandHimanshistartedlivingthegreatIndiandream,hand in hand, it was over. All that remainedwasachillingimagethat capturedthehorrorof Tuesday’s terrorattackinJ&K:Vinay’sbody stretched out on a brown patch in the picturesque Baisaran valley in Pahalgam; Himanshi seated, listless, nearby; a black backpack overturned. In a video from the spot, Himanshi is heard saying, “I was eating bhel puri with my husband. A man came over and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 AHMEDABAD, APRIL 23 ONAPRIL19,Bhavnagarresident Yatish Sudhir Parmar’s sevenmember family left for Srinagar to attend a Ram Katha by spiritual leader Morari Bapu. The group was set to return to Gujarat in a few days but the Pahalgam terror attack on Tuesday brought their trip to the Valley to a tragic end as Yatish and his 17-year-old son Smit Yatish and Smit Parmar wereamongthe26peoplekilled in the incident. Around 9pm on Wednesday night, the mortal remains of the two deceased arrived at AhmedabadAirportfromwhere theyweretakentoBhavnagarby road in two ambulances. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, too, reached Bhavnagar Wednesday night. Earlier, on X, CM Patel CONTINUEDONPAGE2 INSIDE ON THE DAY HE WAS SET TO TURN 46, KIN OF SBI MANAGER RECEIVE HIS BODY P6 5 terrorists, including 3 from Pak, Tourists clamour to leave Valley, Omar behind attack, indicates probe says heartbreaking DEEPTIMAN TIWARY, MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL & BASHAARAT MASOOD NAVEED IQBAL NEW DELHI, SRINAGAR, APR 23 AT LEAST five terrorists, including three from Pakistan, are suspected to have opened fire on tourists at the Baisaran valley meadow in Pahalgam Tuesday, The Indian Express has learnt. Accordingtosources,eyewitness accounts and intelligence reports suggest that at least two of the attackers are suspected to be local militants. “The Urdu that they (the foreignterrorists)spokeisfromcertain parts of Pakistan… At least twolocalmilitantsaresuspected to be accompanying them,” an officer from the security establishment told The Indian Express. Authorities have released sketchesofatleastthreeterrorists CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SRINAGAR, APRIL 23 Shah at the attack site near Pahalgam, Wednesday. PTI J&K TERROR ATTACK WON’T SPARE CULPRITS: SHAH 3 THANE COUSINS AMONG DEAD VILLAGE MOURNS ITS ‘BRAVEHEART’ ‘RED COLOUR ON PAPA’S HEAD’ PAGES 14, 15, 16 “OUR GUESTS are unfortunately returning to their homes wrapped in shrouds.” Speaking atthefuneralof AdilHussain,the only local killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had this to say about25touristsfromacrossthe country being gunned down a day earlier. The impact of the attack on Kashmir Valley became clearer on Wednesday, as tourists clamoured to take the first flight or trainhomeandpopulardestinationssawasharpdropinfootfall. Srinagar and several parts of J&K,meanwhile,observedashutdown of schools and businesses toexpresssolidaritywiththevictims.Seniorgovernmentofficials BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY said“50-60%”ofbookingsforthis season had been cancelled. AtPahalgam,wherethedaily footfall is 15,000 or more, just 100-odd tourists remained on Wednesday. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ‘Sin to stay silent’: Srinagar to Jammu, towns shut down, people turn out in solidarity, protest attack PAGE 1 ANCHOR BASHAARAT MASOOD, NAVEED IQBAL & ARUN SHARMA PAHALGAM, SRINAGAR, JAMMU, APRIL 23 IT’S A sin to stay silent; those who come to enjoy with their families should not have to return in a coffin; all of Kashmir is speaking in one voice, rejecting violence. A day after the terror attack that killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, the chorus from the ground in Jammu and Kashmir is loud and clear. FromPahalgamtoSrinagarin Kashmir, and Kishtwar to Doda in Jammu, massive protests and shutdowns were observed Wednesday, marking the first time in three decades that militant killings have triggered outrage on such a scale. In Pahalgam, around 800 people—manyof themfromthe tourismandhospitalityindustry —observedatotalshutdownand ShutdowninSrinagartoprotesttheterrorattack. Shuaib Masoodi took to the streets holding placards condemning the killings. “We want to tell the world and the attackers that we stand with the tourists,” Mushtaq Ahmad, president of the Pahalgam Hoteliers and Guesthouses Association, told The Indian Express. “The protests were necessary to tell the attackers that such attacks can't be tolerated. It isnotthatourlivelihoodhasbeen hit,wecanhaveothermeans,but it’s a sin to stay silent.” In Srinagar, the Ghanta Ghar (clock tower) in Lal Chowk CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad