Karnal (Haryana) [India], April 24 (ANI): Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday met the family of Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 and reiterated Union government’s resolve to give a befitting reponse. He also said that the world is supporting India is its fight against terrorism.
Speaking to reporters in Karnal, the Union Minister condemned the Pahalgam terror attack.
“It is really sad that Lieutenant Vinay Narwal lost his life in the Pahalgam terror attack… I strongly condemn the kind of heinous act committed by the terrorists… 26 more people have died, out of which 1 person is from Nepal… Nepal’s Prime Minister has spoken to PM Modi… This incident is a matter of concern for all of us,” Khattar said.
He further said that the Ministry of External Affairs has taken very strict steps, like closing the Attari border and suspending the Indus Water Treaty.
“The Attari border has been closed. No Pakistani citizen will be given visa and those who have already come to India on visa have been asked to leave India by May 1… The Indus Water Treaty has been suspended. Pakistan should not take it lightly… Today, the countries of the world are with us against terrorism. India will definitely do whatever it has to do to take revenge for this incident,” he added.
“Today, there will be an all-party meeting chaired by Rajnath Singh ji. Everyone has condemned this incident, this country is one,” he said.
Earlier, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday that, in recognition of the seriousness of the terrorist attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) took the following measures, which included five key decisions.
“The Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions,” Misri said.
He also mentioned that the Integrated Check Post at Attari will be closed with immediate effect.
Other measures decided upon by the CCS include the abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty “with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism”.
Misri also said that Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas. “Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under an SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India.”
The Foreign Secretary said that the overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by May 1, 2025.
As many as 26 people were killed in the dastardly attack by terrorists on tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
The attack, carried out by terrorists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, is one of the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The attack was one of the biggest terror attacks in the region after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. (ANI)