Pahalgam LIVE: Attari–Wagah border fully shut down, along with Pakistani social media handles

Following the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives, US secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Rubio reaffirmed America’s support for India in combating terrorism, urged both nations to avoid escalating tensions, and called for accountability for those behind the attack.

Meanwhile, Iran has offered to mediate between the two neighbours.

In the week since the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India has downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan, pulled out of the Indus Waters Treaty, exchanged fire with our neighbour along the LoC, brought the matter up at the United Nations and stopped all trade (even via third-party nations) with Pakistan.

Pakistan, which India accuses of harbouring terrorists and fomenting terrorism has, for its part, said it will treat any attempt to hold back water from the Indus river system as an Act of War and closed its airspace to us — affecting commercial flights more than military operations.

More in our earlier live blog here.

Following a week-long heavy rush of people from both sides crossing over after the Union government ordered all Pakistani citizens with short-term visa to leave India, the Attari–Wagah border crossing point between the two countries has now been shut completely.

A total of 125 Pakistani nationals left India on Wednesday through the Attari-Wagah border, taking the total number of Pakistanis leaving the country to 911 in the last seven days.

Fifteen Indian citizens with Pakistani visa also crossed over to Pakistan on Wednesday, taking the total number of such people exiting India to 23.

Similarly, 152 Indian nationals and 73 Pakistani nationals with long-term Indian visa have entered India through the international border crossing point in Punjab's Amritsar district, taking the total number of such people to 1,617 and 224, respectively.

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar has spoken to his South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul and is understood to have conveyed India’s policy of “zero tolerance” towards terrorists.

The external affairs minister has already spoken to his counterparts in eight other non-permanent member nations of the UN Security Council.

Jaishankar’s phone conversations with foreign ministers of the non-permanent member nations of the UN Security Council assume particular significance given that Pakistan is also a member of the influential UN body for the 2025-26 period.

“Spoke with @FMChoTaeyul of South Korea this morning. Thanked him for RoK’s support and solidarity in light of the Pahalgam terror attack. Underlined the need to combat terrorism in all forms and manifestations,” the external affairs minister said on ‘X’.

A case of negligence has seen three police officers suspended in Mangaluru over the case of a mob lynching of a Muslim man who allegedly shouted the 'Pakistan zindabad' slogan at a cricket match locally.

The police officers in question had reportedly first only registered the case as a 'suspicious death' — but did not open a murder investigation into the 'unnatural death' until a controversy erupted around the incident.

The man was allegedly lynched by a crowd of 30 people, of whom 20 have been arrested.

More here

CPI-M general secretary MA Baby is the latest among opposition leaders to demand a special session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack and its aftermath.

"There was a meeting of political parties, but the prime minister chose to go to Bihar to give a public speech rather than presiding over this political party meeting. So, I don't know what is the priority of the honourable prime minister of our country, ” he added.

Instagram accounts of popular Pakistani actors Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, Sanam Saeed and Ali Zafar have also been blocked in India following a "legal request" in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

"Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content" is the message being displayed when users in India try to access their pages.

The Instagram accounts of Pakistani actors Bilal Abbas, lqra Aziz, Ayeza Khan, Imran Abbas and Sajal Aly have also been blocked.

The release of Abir Gulaal, a film starring Pakistani star Fawad Khan, may be in limbo — but Khan's Instagram account is still accessible in India.

Also active: Instagram accounts of singers Atif Aslam, Farhan Saeed, Ali Sethi, Shafqat Amanat Ali; actors Mawra Hocane, best known for her Bollywood debut in 2016's Sanam Teri Kasam, Saba Qamar (Hindi Medium), Adnan Siddiqui (Mom), Hamza Ali Abbasi, Veena Malik of Bigg Boss fame and Churails stars Sarwat Gilani, Mehar Bano, Nimra Bucha and Yasra Rizvi.

Enjoying art and cricket are not possible when those involved try "to disturb our peace and kills innocent people", says actor Suniel Shetty, who recently spoke up for continuing tourism in Kashmir in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.

"Everything should be banned with anybody who tries to disturb our peace and kills innocent people. Anything and everything should be banned. Cricket, movies, everything. First correct what has been done wrong and then everything will be right again... We come from a place where we say dharma, karma and seva," Shetty told PTI.

Shetty is currently promoting his latest movie Kesariya Veer, due for release on 16 May.

On the other hand, the movie Abir Gulaal, featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan that was slated for release on 9 May, will be put on pause, claim government sources.

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a petition seeking a judicial inquiry into the Pahalgam terror attack, stating that such matters fall outside the expertise of judges. In this crucial time, each and every citizen of country joined hands to fight terror, the top court said. The plea was subsequently withdrawn.

A joint operation by the BSF and Punjab Police near Bharopal village in Amritsar thwarted a suspected terror plot, leading to the recovery of a large cache of arms, including three pistols, six magazines, 50 live rounds, and two hand grenades, the Times of India said.

India has banned several Pakistani drama channels on YouTube. While the channels display a government ban notice, some users, including those on Jio networks, can still access the content, a report by the news website Siasat said.

Deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar has expressed sorrow over the Pahalgam terror attack, calling it a heartbreaking tragedy. He has now shared confirmation that 6 of the 26 victims were from the state, and assured full government support to their families.

NIA director general Sadanand Date has reached Pahalgam, as the agency formally launches its investigation into the recent terror attack that left 26 civilians dead. His arrival marks the beginning of a high-level probe into the incident.

Pakistan's Olympic gold-winning javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem's Instagram account has been blocked in India owing to a "legal request" in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Users attempting to access Nadeem's Instagram page from India are met with the message: "Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content."

Earlier this week, several Pakistani YouTube channels were also restricted in India for "disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies".

To read a detailed report about Arshad Nadeem, click here.

SP MP Afzal Ansari condemned the targeting of Muslims and Kashmiri students in several parts of the country following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, alleging that those "government-backed" people spreading hatred share the same mindset as terrorists.

India’s move to shut its airspace to Pakistani airlines following the Pahalgam terror attack will heavily disrupt Pakistan International Airlines' operations, especially on northern routes from New Delhi, says Air Marshal (Retd) Sanjeev Kapoor. In a video post, he said the restrictions are expected to increase flight durations and operational costs for PIA.

A 69-year-old Pakistani national, who was to be sent back to his nation, died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday, 30 April, officials say.

Abdul Waheed was brought from Srinagar by the Jammu and Kashmir Police for his repatriation to Pakistan. He had been living in India for the last 17 years and was found with an expired visa by the police, they said.

Pakistan has named Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, current ISI chief, as the country’s new National Security Adviser. The appointment was confirmed through a Cabinet Division notification issued on Tuesday, 29 April.

Amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, cyberattacks traced to Pakistan targeted four defence-related institutions, including Army Public Schools in Srinagar and Ranikhet. While some sites were briefly defaced and hit with denial-of-service attacks, prompt action by web administrators contained the damage, media reports quoted army officials as saying.

Amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan, Qatar has expressed concern over the situation and urged both nations to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation.

At the 4th Joint Working Group meeting on counter-terrorism held in Cairo on Wednesday, 30 April, India and Egypt agreed to enhance collaboration against terrorism in all its forms. Both nations strongly condemned the recent attack on tourists in Pahalgam, with Egypt reaffirming its full support for India in tackling violence.

According to NOTAM, during this restriction no Pakistani aircraft will be permitted to enter Indian airspace

For a more detailed report click here.

Following the deadly 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Rubio reaffirmed America’s support for India in combating terrorism, urged both nations to avoid escalating tensions, and called for accountability for those behind the attack. Meanwhile, Iran has offered to mediate between the two neighbours.