Tensions Soar After Pahalgam Attack: Pakistan’s Deputy PM Calls Terrorists ‘Freedom Fighters’

By The Sampadak Express

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated sharply following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which left 26 people dead, mostly tourists. A terror outfit linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), known as The Resistance Front (TRF), has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Amid mounting outrage in India, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, stirred controversy by referring to the attackers as “freedom fighters.” In a press conference on Thursday, Dar said, “Those who carried out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam district might be freedom fighters,” triggering a diplomatic storm.

India responded to the attack with strong measures, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty—a significant agreement signed in 1960 that governs water-sharing between the two countries. The decision was taken at a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Additionally, India has cancelled all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, including medical visas.

Reacting strongly to India’s move, Dar termed the treaty suspension as “an act of war,” warning that any attempts to block or divert water would face retaliation. “240 million people in Pakistan need water. You cannot stop it. It is tantamount to an act of war. Any suspension or encroachment won’t be accepted,” he said.

Echoing this sentiment, Pakistan’s National Security Committee, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, also warned India that any disruption in water flow would be viewed as a hostile act. “Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparians will be considered an act of war,” the committee said in a statement.

Adding to the aggressive rhetoric, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif issued a stark warning: “We will make them pay through their noses. If our citizens are harmed by India, Indian citizens will not remain safe either. It will be tit-for-tat.”

The developments have sharply raised hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours, with diplomatic, humanitarian, and regional security implications looming large.

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• Pakistan Threatens Nuclear Action Over Indus Treaty Row
• Over 1,000 Indians Return from Pakistan via Wagah Border Amid Visa Cancellations Post-Pahalgam Attack