Jammu Kashmir News Highlights (April 22): BSF ramps up surveillance along border areas in Rajasthan

Yogendra Singh Rathore, DIG, BSF Jaisalmer, said the force is fully aware of who is behind the recent attack, and that the Indian government has taken strong steps in response. He stressed that safeguarding the border remains the BSF’s core responsibility, with constant monitoring underway across all sensitive areas to prevent any further incidents. Rathore also mentioned that the BSF is working closely with the Police, Army, and intelligence agencies, and that joint operations are being conducted. Additionally, multiple checking points have been set up in different areas to strengthen security and maintain strict vigilance.

• Authorities in Kashmir have launched a massive crackdown on terrorists and their sympathisers in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, razing homes of the ultras, raiding their safe havens and detaining hundreds of overground workers for questioning, officials said on Saturday.
• Houses of five terrorists or their associates have been demolished in the past 48 hours with officials saying similar action will be taken against others involved in terror activities. (Read More)

BJP president and Union minister J P Nadda, who is visiting Pune on Saturday, will meet the families of Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote, the two Pune residents killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, party sources said. Nadda is expected to visit Jagdale’s residence in Karve Nagar around 6.45 pm, followed by a visit to Ganbote’s house in Kondhwa. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is also scheduled to meet both families separately during the day. Jagdale and Ganbote were among the 26 people, mostly tourists, killed by terrorists at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam in Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon.

• In a joint operation, Kulgam Police, along with the Army and CRPF, arrested two terrorist associates and seized a cache of arms and ammunition.
• The arrests were made during a checkpoint inspection at Matalhama Chowk, Thokerpora, Qaimoh. The individuals, identified as Bilal Ahmad Bhat (son of Abdul Salam Bhat) and Mohd Ismail Bhat (son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat), both residents of Thokerpora, Qaimoh, were apprehended. A search led to the recovery of two pistols, 25 rounds of pistol ammunition, and two pistol magazines from their possession.
• A case has been registered at Police Station Qaimoh under relevant legal sections, and further investigation is underway.

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued an advisory urging all media outlets, news agencies, and social media users to avoid live broadcasting of defence operations or reporting based on unverified, source-based information.
• The advisory highlights that premature sharing of sensitive details could unintentionally aid hostile forces, compromising both operational success and the safety of personnel involved.

• In perhaps the harshest response by an Opposition leader so far, AIMIM chief Asaddudin Owaisi on Thursday came out all guns blazing against Pakistan and the attacker of the ghastly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam town on April 22 that left at least 26 people dead and several others injured.
• While Opposition leaders have been largely guarded in their response to the deadly terror strike, limiting their reactions to condemning the attack and expressing solidarity with the government and its actions in wake of the emerging scenario, Owaisi took it several notches up the scale. (Read More)

Former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly looked in no mood of diplomacy and urged BCCI to end all cricketing ties with Pakistan post the gruesome incident in Kashmir's Pahalgam. Speaking to reporters in reportedly Kolkata, the Indian cricketing legend expressed that India should stop engaging with Pakistan even in the ICC and Asian tournaments. (Read More)

• In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, India has asked Pakistani citizens residing here to return to their homeland by April 27. In Uttar Pradesh, authorities are overseeing the exit of those on short-term visas while keeping a close watch on long-term visa holders.
• Prayagraj Police Commissioner Tarun Gaba said four Pakistani nationals on short-term visas were in the district.
• "One Pakistani woman left on Friday, and three others are set to depart on Saturday," he said.

More than 1,000 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, including women and children, were detained during combing operations in Ahmedabad and Surat, with deportation proceedings now underway, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said on Saturday. According to Sanghavi, at least 890 Bangladeshis were detained in Ahmedabad and 134 in Surat, marking the Gujarat police’s largest operation of its kind to date.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam.

Expressing his condolences, CM Yogi said, “The UP government pays condolences to the people who lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack and condemns this cowardly act. There cannot be any place for terrorism and anarchy in a civilized society.”

He underlined that India's security framework under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is rooted in development, welfare of the poor, and ensuring the security of all citizens.

“The Indian Government's model of security, service, and good governance is based on the development, welfare of the poor, and security of all,” he said.

Issuing a strong warning, CM Yogi asserted, “This new India has a zero-tolerance policy against such activities and we are ready to retaliate in whichever language they understand. Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, India does not tease anyone, but if anyone dares to do so, they won’t be spared.”

Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian armed forces today projected a strong message of vigilance and operational readiness.

The Indian Army reaffirmed its alertness with a post on microblogging platform X, stating, "Always Prepared, Ever Vigilant - #IndianArmy," alongside a symbolic image underscoring its commitment to national security. Read more.

In a stern response to those attempting to justify or whitewash the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Assam government has initiated strict action.

The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) today confirmed that 10 individuals have already been identified and arrested in connection with the attempts to downplay the attack.

Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any such incidents of justification or support for terrorism to local authorities without delay.

The state government has vowed to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of such messages and ensure the safety and security of its citizens.

Vaid, further speaking on the rising border tensions with Pakistan,  strongly condemned the reported throat-slitting gesture made by Colonel Taimur Rahat, the Pakistan Army and Air Advisor at the Pakistan High Commission in London.

The incident, which occurred during a protest, has sparked outrage in India.

In his remarks, Vaid described Rahat and others associated with Pakistan as "Madrassa-chhap," a term he used to criticize individuals shaped by the ideologies of Pakistan's former military dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq.

Vaid underlined that this mindset extends beyond just the military, saying, "Whether it is an army colonel, a diplomat, or a doctor, wherever they are, they all carry the 'Madrassa-chhap' mentality.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has now denied any involvement in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

Earlier this week, TRF had reportedly claimed responsibility for the ghastly assault that targeted tourists in the Baisaran meadows of Anantnag district.

However, in a statement issued early this morning, the group retracted its claim, distancing itself from the deadliest terror incident in the region in decades. Check it out here.

Responding to Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's reported remarks on India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Shesh Paul Vaid today asserted that India would not allow water to flow to Pakistan.

Speaking to reporters in Jammu, Vaid said, “Let’s see. We are here. We will not allow the water. You do whatever you want to do. Let Bilawal Bhutto do whatever he wishes to. We are all waiting to see. We will not give you water. You are already suffering for food; you shall suffer for water as well."

He added that the Government of India was actively pursuing measures on multiple fronts to tighten control over river waters. "Already, five projects are in the pipeline. The height of the dams, which Pakistan had earlier objected to, will be increased. We will ensure that, if required, new projects will also be taken up, and no water will go to Pakistan," Vaid said.

Pakistan utilises nearly 93 percent of the water from rivers governed by the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) for agricultural purposes, a sector that accounts for 24 percent of its GDP.

India's decision to suspend the treaty, however, is anticipated to cause only a limited immediate impact on Pakistan’s agriculture, as the water it receives from the western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — is roughly 2.5 times greater than the volume India draws from its eastern rivers — the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi. Learn more.

BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya, early this morning, accused Hamas and Pakistan-based terror groups of jointly plotting the deadly attack in Pahalgam.

In a detailed post on X, Malviya drew parallels between the Pahalgam assault and tactics commonly used by Hamas, claiming the strike was carried out by four militants — two Pakistani nationals and two locals. Find out in detail here.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, early today, expressed Pakistan’s willingness to participate in a “neutral and transparent” investigation into the Pahalgam terrorist attack as tensions between India and Pakistan continue to flare up.

During a speech at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, PM Shehbaz stated, “The recent tragedy in Pahalgam is another instance of this ongoing blame game, which must end. As a responsible nation, Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent, and credible investigation," reports Pakistani daily Dawn.