Tensions Rise After Pahalgam Attack; China Supports Pakistan, US Urges Restraint

New Delhi, 28 April 2025 —Rivalries between India and Pakistan intensified after the April 22 brutal terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. Spillover of the fallout has gone beyond the Line of Control (LoC), with diplomatic earthquakes spreading to Beijing and Washington.

On Sunday, China openly supported its old ally Pakistan, demanding an “impartial investigation” into the attack. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during a phone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to Pakistan’s “sovereignty and security interests.” China’s intervention was made even as Pakistan’s military fired for the fourth day running on Indian forward posts along the sensitive LoC.

Landing firmly, Indian forces initiated powerful retaliatory action, targeting Pakistani positions confronting Tutmari Gali and Rampur sectors of north Kashmir. The recent escalation indicates Islamabad’s determination to raise the level of hostilities in the wake of the horrific terror attack perpetrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) proxy group, The Resistance Front (TRF).

In the meantime, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) officially took over the investigation of the Pahalgam attack. NIA officials have conducted large-scale operations in south Kashmir and Bandipora, destroying homes of suspected terrorists and gathering evidence to unravel the larger terror conspiracy.

In a major diplomatic action, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and closed down the Attari land crossing — the sole functional border crossing between the two nations. In four days, 850 Indian nationals, including 14 diplomats, were repatriated through the Wagah-Attari border, while 537 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats, departed from India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his monthly radio show *Mann Ki Baat*, showed “deep agony” over the death toll and assured citizens that the “harshest response” would be taken against the perpetrators.

The United States, on its part, kept New Delhi and Islamabad closely in touch. A US State Department spokesperson appealed to both countries to find a “responsible resolution,” underlining the need for de-escalation in the face of heightened tensions.

Within Jammu and Kashmir, a special assembly session was held today that lasted one day where MLAs held a moment of silence for the victims of the Pahalgam attack, sending a solemn message of oneness and determination.

As security forces tighten their operations, and international diplomatic efforts are also in motion, the region continues to be on high alert. India’s leadership has made one thing clear — retaliation will be strong, and those responsible for the dastardly attack will be punished.