New Delhi, April 26, 2025: US President Donald Trump has termed the terror attack in picturesque Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir as “bad”, reflecting the growing tensions between India and Pakistan. Speaking on Air Force One, Trump acknowledged the deep conflict in Kashmir, saying, “They have been fighting for a thousand years… I am sure they will find a solution.”
The April 22 attack that claimed the lives of 25 Indian tourists and a Nepali national has shocked the entire country. Trump underlined his close ties with both India and Pakistan while reflecting on the tragedy that claimed more than 30 lives. “I am very close to India and Pakistan,” he said. He said the rivalry along the Line of Control has been going on for “1,500 years”.
#WATCH | On #PahalgamTerroristAttack, US President Donald Trump says, “I am very close to India and I’m very close to Pakistan, and they’ve had that fight for a thousand years in Kashmir. Kashmir has been going on for a thousand years, probably longer than that. That was a bad… pic.twitter.com/R4Bc25Ar6h
— ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2025
Notably, India has taken several diplomatic measures targeting Pakistan in a swift and firm response. The government has suspended the SAARC visa exemption scheme for Pakistani nationals, closed the Integrated Check Post at Attari and issued a 40-hour deadline for Pakistani visitors to leave the country. Diplomatic relations have also become strained further with staff numbers at the two countries’ high commissions being reduced.
In a bold move, India has also halted its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, a 1960 World Bank-brokered agreement that has long been a cornerstone of India-Pakistan relations. The treaty, considered one of the most durable international agreements, allocates the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers to India and the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers to Pakistan, with India having rights to 20% of the waters of the Indus river system. The decision to halt cooperation on the agreement marks a significant escalation in the ongoing diplomatic conflict.
The Pahalgam attack has reignited the debate on cross-border terrorism even as the Valley tries to recover from the tragedy. India’s tough stance and Trump’s comments have attracted global attention, with all eyes on how New Delhi and Islamabad deal with this fraught chapter in their turbulent history.
