Kashmir updates: Pakistan claims Pahalgam attack ‘false flag operation’

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For more on what we know about the Kashmir attack, check out our explainer here.

And if you’re interested in why Pakistan has reacted forcefully to India’s withdrawal from the Indus Rivers Treaty, see our story here.

We will bring our live coverage to an end soon. Here’s a summary of the day’s major developments:

• Pakistan has announced a host of countermeasures against India, including the closure of its airspace, as tensions escalate following the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.
• In an interview with Al Jazeera, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed – without providing any evidence – that the attack was “orchestrated” and rejected India’s claims that Pakistan was involved.
• Pakistani officials say any Indian attempt to divert water from the Indus River will be considered “an act of war” after New Delhi announced its withdrawal from a decades-old water allocation pact with Islamabad.
• India’s Prime Minister Modi pledged to hunt the Pahalgam gunmen to the “ends of the earth”.
• Police in Indian-administered Kashmir claim to have identified three suspects, two of whom are Pakistani nationals, in the attack.

Our colleagues have spoken to residents of Pahalgam, where this week’s deadly attack took place.

Shopkeeper Bilal Ahmed Khanday said people are “deeply saddened” by what happened.

“This should never have happened. Whoever did this has committed an act of evil,” he told Al Jazeera.

Another resident, Tariq Ahmed, echoed that sentiment, saying that “whatever happened should not have happened.”

“It’s our misfortune that the situation has escalated, and now, India and Pakistan are taking diplomatic steps in the fallout of the attack,” Ahmed said.

“Kashmiris are always affected whenever relations worsen between India and Pakistan, and we don’t want that. We Kashmiris have always hoped for good relations between India and Pakistan, as it always benefits Kashmir.”

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) says authorities in Dehradun, a city in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, have been directed to “ensure the safety and security” of Kashmiri students.

JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami said the move comes in response to “recent threats, intimidation, and hate-driven ultimatums” by a far-right group, which had given Kashmiri students 24 hours to leave the state following the Pahalgam attacks.

The association also sent a letter to India’s home minister earlier today to report that Kashmiri students who are studying in other parts of the country “are being targeted, harassed, and in some cases, even evicted from hostels and rented accommodations by landlords”.

“Reports from different parts of the country reveal that these students are being treated with suspicion and hostility, facing both verbal and physical abuse,” the JKSA said.

With a wounded heart, JKSA writes to the Honourable @HMOIndia @AmitShah, urging immediate action to address the pressing concerns of Jammu & Kashmir students- @ANI@PTI_News@ahmermkhan @GreaterKashmir @RisingKashmir @PIBHomeAffairs pic.twitter.com/5lDbMLe57m

— J&K Students Association (@JKSTUDENTSASSO) April 24, 2025

The main land border crossing between India and Pakistan is a pivotal conduit for trade and passenger movement, and is also significant for Afghanistan.

Its closure and disruption to the movement of goods and people is expected to have the most immediate effect on small traders and industries reliant on cross-border trade, as well as Pakistanis trying to leave in the aftermath of the attack.

The Attari-Wagah crossing saw trade worth 38.86bn Indian rupees ($454m) in the 2023-24 fiscal year, with 6,871 cargo movements and 71,563 passenger crossings recorded, according to The Times of India.

Afghanistan also trades goods with India, passing through Pakistan and this crossing, something that will now be disrupted.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres is following the situation between the two countries “very closely and with very great concern”, his spokesperson said.

Stephane Dujarric told reporters that the UN is appealing to both governments “to exercise maximum restraint” to ensure recent developments “do not deteriorate any further”.

“Any issues between Pakistan and India, we believe can be, and should be, resolved peacefully through meaningful, mutual engagement.”

Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch held a briefing for diplomats in Islamabad on rising tensions with India following the Kashmir attack.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Baloch “rejected Indian misinformation campaign against Pakistan and said that such tactics would obstruct the path to peace and stability in the region”.

She also “cautioned against Indian attempts to escalate tensions and reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to counter any misadventure”, the ministry said.

Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch briefed a group of Islamabad-based Heads of Mission and diplomats on the evolving situation following Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Foreign Secretary shared the outcomes of the National Security Committee meeting. She… pic.twitter.com/0qJCKiEed0

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) April 24, 2025

Check out the latest on escalating tensions between the neighbouring countries in this video report:

A woman whose husband was killed in the Pahalgam attack has confronted a government minister over security arrangements in India-administered Kashmir.

The Indian Express newspaper reported that Shital Kalathiya, wife of slain bank manager Shailesh Kalathiya, questioned Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil as he attended her husband’s funeral.

“What kind of a government do we have? You are defaming Kashmir, but there is no problem with Kashmir. The problem is with our government’s security arrangements,” Shital Kalathiya told the minister, according to the report.

“There was not a single military man present at the tourist spot in Pahalgam, which had a large number of tourists, and there were no medical facilities either.

“Even after paying taxes, when my husband was in urgent need of medical treatment, there were no facilities. I want justice. I just need an answer from the government about what they will do now.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken with his Indian counterpart to offer condolences for the Kashmir attack.

“Prime Minister Modi thanked him for sharing in India’s mourning and emphasized that the two countries stand shoulder to shoulder in the global campaign against murderous terrorism,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

Relations between Israel and India have deepened under Netanyahu and Modi with the two countries enjoying a range of economic and security ties.

Last year, we reported that weapons had been transported from India to Israel during the country’s war on Gaza.

Tourism is an important component of the local economy, contributing nearly seven percent to its GDP.

A rush of visitors to Kashmir also serves the political messaging of Modi’s BJP that it has succeeded in bringing peace and calm to the region.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a little-known armed group that emerged in Indian-administered Kashmir in 2019, has claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 26 people.

What exactly is TRF and what influence does it wield in Kashmir?

Find out in our explainer here.

Indian media outlet NDTV is reporting that international air fares from India are likely to increase by up to 12 percent after Pakistan’s decision to close its airspace for Indian airlines.

Earlier today, Air India and IndiGo said some of their international flights have been impacted by the closure.

The report added that multiple airlines will now need to take longer routes, resulting in more fuel and higher costs.

The Press Trust of India news agency quoted a senior pilot as saying that the duration of some of the US and European flights operated by Indian airlines will increase by up to 2.5 hours.

Punjab Police Protocol Officer Arun Mahal told Indian news agency ANI that 28 Pakistani nationals returned home from India over the closed Wagah-Attari border crossing. Another 105 Indian nationals crossed back into India, Mahal said.

Indian announced the immediate closure of the border crossing with Pakistan yesterday amid a host of measures taken in response to the Kashmir attacks.