Amit Shah to CMs: Identify All Pakistanis in India and Deport Them
The attack in Pahalgam stands as the most severe incident on Indian territory since the February 2019 Pulwama tragedy, where 40 CRPF personnel were killed in an act attributed to the proscribed group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Attack
Following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam earlier this week, the Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all states and union territories to identify and deport Pakistani nationals residing within their jurisdictions. Sources said that Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken directly with chief ministers across the country to expedite the process.
This development comes amid a series of strong diplomatic and strategic countermeasures announced by the Indian government. On Wednesday, India officially revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals as part of a five-step response to the attack. The cancellations take effect from April 27, with the exception of medical visas, which will remain valid for an additional 48 hours.
India has asserted it possesses concrete evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the planning and execution of the Pahalgam attack. On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri presented this evidence to senior diplomats from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and China.
In addition to the visa cancellations, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) — a key water-sharing agreement concerning the Indus River and its tributaries. This move has sparked outrage in Pakistan, which termed the suspension an "act of war" and, in retaliation, announced its withdrawal from the Simla Agreement.
Further escalating tensions, Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian-owned and operated flights.
The Pahalgam attack, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon in the Baisaran Valley, claimed the lives of 26 individuals, including civilians and tourists. Harrowing footage circulating on social media showed five armed terrorists targeting male victims. In one particularly chilling video, a terrorist spares a woman and instructs her to "go tell Modi."
Among the victims was a newly-wed Indian Navy officer, who was vacationing with his wife.
The Pahalgam incident is the deadliest terror attack on Indian soil since the 2019 Pulwama attack, where 40 CRPF personnel were killed by the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed. Responsibility for this week’s assault has been claimed by an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, another banned Pakistani terrorist group. Authorities believe at least three terrorists carried out the ambush; all remain at large despite a massive search operation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing an event in Bihar, delivered a strong message to the global community. Switching from Hindi to English, he declared, “From the soil of Bihar, I am telling the world that India will identify and punish every terrorist, and those behind them.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also issued a stern warning at a separate event in Delhi, stating, “We won’t only punish the monsters who committed this brutal act, but will also target those who orchestrated it from behind the scenes.”
The government convened an all-party meeting on Thursday to brief political leaders on the ongoing situation and India’s response strategy.
