Pakistan on Wednesday said it was “concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives” in the terrorist attack that took place in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday, April 22.
Responding to media queries concerning the attack, FO Spokesperson Shafqat Khan in a statement said: “We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives in an attack in Anantnag district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“We extend our condolences to the near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” Pakistan news portal Dawn quoted the statement.
Chinese ambassador to India, meanwhile, expressed shock over the attack in Pahalgam that left 26, mostly tourists, dead. “Shocked by the attack in Pahalgam and condemn. Deep condolences for the victims and sincere sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families. Oppose terrorism of all forms,” Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said in a post on X.
Condolences and reactions from across the world poured in over the Pahalgam terrorist attack, with US President Donald Trump assuring “full support” of the US and deepest sympathies to India.
The attack took place at the scenic Baisaran meadow, a popular tourist spot near Pahalgam which is also referred to as ‘mini Switzerland. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his Saudi Arabia visit and returned to Delhi, while home minister Amit Shah rushed to Kashmir on Tuesday as the attack prompted urgent high-profile moves and change in plans.
Authorities are suspecting that the attackers may have crossed over from Kishtwar in Jammu and reached Baisaran via Kokernag in South Kashmir to carry out one of the deadliest strikes targeting civilians in the Valley in recent years.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack, according to PTI news agency, with many in the country attributing a recent ‘provocative’ statement by Pakistan Army chief’s statement for the strike.
The Pahalgam incident occurred just days after Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir described Kashmir as the “jugular vein” of his country and referenced the two-nation theory of Pakistan’s founder, MA Jinnah.
Following the attack, strong condemnation poured in from across India. Leaders and citizens alike blamed Pakistan-based terror outfits and agencies for sponsoring the violence, while also criticising Gen Munir’s remarks as “provocative” and inflammatory.
