Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, will give a fitting and precise response to every act of terrorism. This was the Home Minister's first public remarks on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 people dead.
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00:00Good evening, you're tuned in to NewsTrack here on India Today.
00:03I'm Akshita Nanda Gopal.
00:04This evening we're going to be getting you all of the updates coming in on the government's response to Pakistan.
00:09You heard from Prime Minister Modi last week when he said very clearly that none of the terrorists will be spared.
00:16Today for the first time, Home Minister Amitra has spoken out with a similar message
00:20where he said that every single terrorist involved in the Pehalgaam attack will be hunted down.
00:26A clear message from the Modi government that they will not spare anyone either involved in the Pehalgaam attack
00:33or who helped and aided the terrorists.
00:35We'll be getting you all the latest on the statements coming in from the government
00:38and what really the government has done on ground to take on Pakistan.
00:42Let's begin with the headlines.
00:47U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hexet dials Rajnath Singh.
00:51Hexet retreats U.S. government support in India's fight against terror.
00:55Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio had spoken to S.J. Shankar.
01:04Every terrorist behind Pehalgaam massacre will be hunted down, declares Home Minister Amitraa
01:09in his first public statement after the terror attack.
01:17India shots its airspace to Pakistani airlines in retaliation to Pakistan's closure of its airspace.
01:23Prime Minister Modi inaugurates Wave Summit in Mumbai, calls for global creative collaboration,
01:33says it's the right time to create in India and create for the world.
01:42U.S. and Ukraine sign a minerals deal.
01:45Ukraine will not have to return the aided receipt from America to fight the war with Russia.
01:50The first statement from Home Minister Amitraa and he's issued a direct warning message
02:03to the terrorists involved in the Pehalgaam terror attack.
02:07Ten days since the terror attack that took place in Jammu and Kashmir,
02:11you've got Home Minister Amitraa issuing a stern warning to terrorists and their backers,
02:15declaring that those responsible should not mistake the attack for a victory
02:20and asserting very clearly that India will hunt down each and every one of these terrorists,
02:27saying this is the Narendra Modi government, we will not let them go.
02:31This, remember, is the message that's coming from the Home Minister right after Prime Minister Modi
02:36also said that their resolve to fight terror has not been shaken,
02:40but has only been strengthened right now.
02:43In fact, two warnings came in from Home Minister Amitraa in a matter of one hour from Delhi,
02:49where Shah reaffirmed the Modi government's unwavering commitment
02:52to uproot terror from Indian soil.
02:55Listen then to some of the highlights of what the Home Minister had to say first.
02:58I want to say that the war is not a threat.
03:07is not a place that every person has given the answer to the answer to the answer to the question.
03:22नरेंद्र मोदी जी के नेत्रुत में चाहे उत्तरपुर्वो हो चाहे वामपन्ती उग्रवाद का ख्षेत्र हो चाहे कस्मीर पर पड़ी अतंकवाद की छाया हो
03:40हर चीज का मजबूते के साथ हमने जवाब दिया है और अगर कोई एक काईराना हमला करकर यह समत्ता है
03:50कि हमारी बड़ी जीत है तो एक बात मन से समझ लिए जिए इन नरेंद्र मोधी सरकार है किसी को बक्सा नहीं जाएगा
04:05किसी को बक्सा नहीं जाएगा इस देश की इंच इंच भुमी पर से आतंकवाद को मूल समेट उखाडने का हमारा संकल्प है और वो सिद्ध होकर रहेगा
04:20नवकेवल 140 करोड भारतिय पूरी दुनिया भारत के साथ खड़ी लाम बंद होकर सबी दुनिया के देश एक मूस्तो कर आतंकवाद के खिलाप ये लड़ाई में भारत की जंता के साथ खड़े हैं
04:44और मैं फीर से संकल्प दोहराना चाहता हूं जब तक आतंकवाद समाप नहीं होगा हमारी लड़ाई चालू रहेगी और जिन लोगो ने एक रुत्य किया है उसका उचीत दंड उनको निश्चीत रूप से दिया जाएगा
05:03Strong words used there by the Home Minister. Essentially a message to the survivors of the Pelgham attack, to the families who lost their loved ones in that attack, that there will ensure justice is mated out to these families.
05:21Now remember that this message comes in from the Home Minister after the Prime Minister issued one warning after another, vowing to deliver justice to these very families.
05:29I promised the harshest form of punishment for the terrorists behind the Pelgham attack. Here's a quick recap of what the Prime Minister said previously on this terror attack.
05:41Today, from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world, India will identify,
05:57track and punish
06:01every terrorist
06:04and their backer.
06:10We will pursue them
06:13to the ends of the earth.
06:18India's spirit
06:19will never be broken by terrorism.
06:24Terrorism will not
06:25go
06:26unpunished.
06:30Every effort will be made
06:32to ensure that justice is done.
06:37The entire nation is firm
06:39in this resolve.
06:43Everyone
06:43who believes in humanity
06:46is with us.
06:49I do not see you.
06:50It goes into a
06:51replaces the
06:52but to the
06:54which
06:55has been
06:56in it
06:58which
06:59has been
07:01and
07:01to the
07:03the
07:06and to the
07:06who have
07:09उनकी कल्पना से भी बड़ी सजा मिलेगी
07:17सजा मिलकर के रहेगी
07:22मुझे एसात है हर भारतिय का खून
07:27आतंकी हमले की तस्विरों को देखकर खौल रहा है
07:34पहलगाम में हुआ यह हमला आतंक के सरपरस्तों की हताशा को दिखाता है
07:41उनकी कायरता को दिखाता है
07:44आतंकी और आतंक के आका चाहते हैं
07:48कश्मील फिर से तबाह हो जाए
07:51और इसलिए इतनी बड़ी साजिस को अंजाम दिया
07:56आतंक बाद के खिलाप इस यूद में देश की एकता
08:01एक सो चालीस करोड भारतियों की एक जूड़ता
08:05हमारी सब से बड़ी ताकत है
08:08Okay, so you're seeing clearly a very strong message from the Modi government
08:1510 days since the Pehlgam terror attacks
08:18We'll decode for you what the government has done so far
08:20Gaurav Savant is joining us live on news track with more on that
08:24Gaurav, how do you read into this message that's coming in from the government
08:27First Prime Minister Modi, now Home Minister Amit Shah
08:30issuing a very clear message that these terrorists will not be spared
08:33In the last 10 days, we've seen several strikes really by India
08:37against Pakistan
08:39Militarily, we're still waiting to see what kind of action the government will choose to take
08:43India is carrying out a series of measures to respond to Pakistan state-sponsored
08:50radical Islamist terror after the Pehlgam terror strike
08:53Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he spoke of how terror would be dealt with at source
08:59and not just the terrorists but even the backers
09:01a message that's been reiterated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah
09:05In fact, if you notice, there's action that's being taken on ground
09:09in terms of Jammu and Kashmir police, the special operations group, the CRPF and the army
09:14going after terrorists on ground
09:16neutralizing either terrorists, the ecosystem, the overground workers
09:22including destroying their homes
09:24So that's the message internally. Along with that, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also had a series of meetings with the Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil
09:35And that is where Government of India says it's carrying out a long-term action against Pakistan to deter Pakistan from using
09:44terror as an instrument of state policy. So the Indus waters treaty, he's already directed the Jal Shakti Minister to carry out a feasibility study
09:53projects that had been stalled, they must start immediately. Water that goes to Pakistan, only the amount that Pakistan is entitled to should go.
10:03Remaining water, there are projects in Ladakh, there are projects in Kargil and Leh, you know, there are hydropower projects, they need to be expedited, there are projects in Jammu and Kashmir, in the Kashmir Valley, they need to be expedited, the Kishan Ganga River project, where desilting and flushing operations have to be carried out, that needs to be expedited.
10:26So a series of measures from kinetic and non-kinetic, the Government is moving forward on. The military option still remains on the table.
10:35Absolutely. Gaurav, thanks for those details. We've been reporting consistently on the kind of action India has been taking against Pakistan and a series of diplomatic strikes.
10:44But also, importantly, the Government is working on getting support from other countries, ensure that globally you isolate Pakistan.
10:53And many countries have publicly spoken out to condemn the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, with strong calls for peace, with strong calls also, importantly, for accountability.
11:04America has taken a very, very strong stand, urging both India and Pakistan to work together.
11:09But importantly, you had conversations that happened today. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, held talks with External Affairs Minister, S.J. Shankar, and separately with the Pakistan Prime Minister.
11:21You also had U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, speaking to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
11:29And let's focus really on what Pete Hegseth said. He dialed Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to express condolences over the loss of innocent lives.
11:38During the conversation, Rajnath Singh directly named and shamed Pakistan, called out Pakistan for its continued support for terror,
11:46labeling it a rogue state that must be held accountable.
11:50Hegseth reaffirmed Washington's full support for India's fight against terrorism and backed India's right to defend itself.
11:58Pakistan continues to make hollow claims of cracking down on terror.
12:02Only a handful of nations stand by it.
12:04India, in contrast, has the backing of major global powers united in its call to end cross-border terror once and for all.
12:10I think we're going to see more of that message on both sides.
12:18We saw Secretary Rubio really urge the Pakistani side to condemn these attacks.
12:28And I think we'll continue to see that as well.
12:30What remains to be seen is, you know, there are a lot of ways in which this could escalate, ways this could spiral.
12:39And in worst-case scenarios, yeah, there are ways that Pakistan calls on one of its closest allies, China,
12:47and that could complicate things greatly.
12:49But for now, I think what we're going to continue to see are more calls from the U.S. to de-escalate
12:54and continued support for India in the face of this heinous attack against terrorism.
13:06So many countries after April 22nd, after the Pelagam terror attack, issued statements condemning the terror attack.
13:13And then there are countries who have made it very clear that they stand with India.
13:17Let's break that down for you.
13:18We have marked out the countries in blue, which highlight the ones who are with India versus green, which are with Pakistan.
13:25You will see that largely most parts of this map that we've highlighted is largely in blue.
13:30Most of the countries, U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Israel, Russia, they've all made it very clear that they stand with India.
13:38And not just condemning the terror attack, but actually issuing a statement where they say that any step that propagates terror,
13:46there must be a crackdown on.
13:47There are only three countries, essentially, that are with Pakistan.
13:50It's the usual suspects.
13:52China, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.
13:54What do we mean by backing?
13:56Well, these three countries, China, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, have said there should be an investigation.
14:01Much like Pakistan, there should be an independent investigation.
14:04But we have to highlight here that even these three countries, while backing China, haven't really come forward and provided any sort of help or solidarity for that matter.
14:13Even China has condemned the Pahalgam terror attack.
14:16I'd like to bring in our foreign affairs editor, Geeta Mohan, for more details, really, on where countries stand, and particularly on America, Geeta.
14:24Because while America has spoken about de-escalation, very importantly, there's also a message that India has sent across that we will name and shame Pakistan.
14:34With every country, we will say that Pakistan is involved in these kind of terror activities to further isolate the country.
14:41Well, Akshita, world leaders are calling on India and, of course, Pakistan as well to de-escalate tensions.
14:51There are interests involved, stakeholders who do not want to see escalation in the South Asian region because it harms their interests.
15:00Beat America that is at war with China or China that has interests within Pakistan, stakes within Pakistan.
15:06But the fact of the matter is that India's message and signal is very clear to the world, particularly to the West and to the United States of America,
15:15that this attack on India, on Indian soil, is not going to go unnoticed, unspaired, and India will not take this lying down.
15:28There's a very clear message that Pakistan and those who have backed these terrorists will have to pay a very, very heavy price
15:35for the lives lost in Pahalgam.
15:38And that's the message that India sent across to the United States of America.
15:41Therefore, while they saw de-escalation, they also went ahead as allies and strategic partners
15:47and have said that they will support India in whatever decision India takes.
15:52The two important calls that took place between Defence Secretary Hegseth and his counterpart, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh,
16:00and then yesterday, another call between Secretary of State Mark Rubio and External Affairs Minister Jay Shankar.
16:07But the message from India is very clear that this time around, instead of asking India to de-escalate tensions,
16:13it is time that Pakistan is reined in.
16:16The idea is to call out Pakistan on every single platform and ensure countries recognize the fact
16:23that Pakistan continues to shield terrorists, helps them also actively in carrying out these terror attacks.
16:30Thanks very much, Geeta, for joining us with those details.
16:33The reality is, however, that the four terrorists who were involved in the Pahalgam terror attack,
16:40it's been 10 days, by the way, since that attack, they're still out there.
16:43They still haven't been nabbed, and there's a hunt, a massive manhunt, that's underway to find these poachers.
16:50Armed forces are on the job.
16:51It's extremely dense jungles that surround Pahalgam, and sources tell us that our forces believe
16:58these terrorists haven't been able to move out of South Kashmir because of the huge deployment of our forces.
17:04But considering that this is densely wooded areas, it's been quite a challenge to find out exactly where they are.
17:11These terrorists continue to be at large, and our forces, multiple deployments on ground there,
17:17to identify them, to find them as soon as possible.
17:20Let's get you those updates on the hunt for these terrorists, 10 days on, in this next report.
17:2410 days after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, the terrorists remain at large.
17:40Despite non-stop operations by security forces in dense forests at different locations,
17:46the terrorists have managed to evade the dragnet.
17:48From the terrain to help from suspected overground workers to natural shelters like caves,
17:55the highly trained terrorists are using many factors to their advantage.
18:00The NIA team, which is camping in Baisaran Valley, is intensifying its probe.
18:05NIA chief Sadhanan Date visited the site and reviewed the situation.
18:09According to NIA sources, nearly 100 individuals have been questioned, and 15 are under close scrutiny.
18:21Raids have been carried out across Jammu and Kashmir at suspected locations linked to overground workers,
18:27including those affiliated with separatist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami.
18:31Seizures during these raids indicate support for the terrorists.
18:34Areas like Kupwara, Handwara, Anantanag, Tral, Pulwama, Sapor, Baramulla and Bandipora have been under the scanner.
18:44Call records and other technical data are being analysed to trace connections between overground workers and the terrorists.
18:52The NIA suspects that dense forests and caves in Anantanag district are being used as natural shelters by the terrorists.
18:59Intelligence inputs suggest they are well-trained, likely from Pakistan, and carrying enough rations to survive for over a week.
19:08As per sources, initial probe revealed that terrorists had wrecked three areas in Pahlgaam on April 15.
19:16Sources also revealed that a terrorist conducted a wrecky of Pahlgaam's amusement park
19:21and that the attack was postponed due to tight security.
19:25Sources revealed that terrorists used Ultraset communication system.
19:53Through this system, terrorists can communicate and send messages without a SIM card.
20:01Security forces are confident it is only a matter of time before the terrorists behind the Pahlgaam massacre are caught.
20:09With Kamal Jit and Arvind Oja in Pahlgaam, Meir Fareed in Srinagar, Jitendra Bahadur in Delhi, Bureau Report, India Today.
20:16Let's now get you a ground report from the borders of India and Pakistan.
20:23The Atari-Waga border has been shut off.
20:26India first closed down the Atari border and then in a tit-for-tat move, as expected, Pakistan shut down the Waga border.
20:31But despite that, restrictions in place, India has allowed stranded Pakistani nationals to return home via the Atari border.
20:39Considering that we have asked all Pakistani nationals to leave, we have revoked their visas, they are being allowed to head back via the Atari border.
20:46And while India is allowing this, being magnanimous on humanitarian grounds, Pakistan, as expected, hasn't budged, leaving dozens of its own citizens stuck with little to no access of food or water or any basic supplies.
21:02Pakistan shuts its door on its own citizens.
21:21They refused to open the Waga border post on Thursday, even as Pakistani citizens, being deported by India, lined up to return home.
21:32The Pakistani nationals, many who have spent years here, are being deported,
22:01as their visas have been cancelled following the Pahalgaam terror attack.
22:07The deported citizens, stranded on the Indian side, were forced to wait in the punishing heat.
22:13Within just six days, 786 Pakistani nationals, including 55 diplomats,
22:18and their staff crossed back into Pakistan via the Atari Baga border.
22:24Within just six days, 786 Pakistani nationals, including 55 diplomats, and their staff crossed back into Pakistan via the Atari Baga border.
22:48At the same time, 1,465 Indian citizens returned home from Pakistan.
22:56For many, the deadline has meant heartbreak.
23:01Families torn apart, lives uprooted, and decades of quiet existence in India brought to an abrupt end.
23:09The crackdown, ordered by Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, followed the April attack that killed 25 tourists and a local resident in Pahalgaam.
23:25The vehicles lined up here since morning.
23:31This queue is halfened up now because a lot of vehicles have left back in dejection
23:35because they were waiting in the queue since morning, 6 a.m., and they wanted to go back to Pakistan.
23:41But you can see children here, mothers here, they wanted to go back.
23:45But since Pakistan has not opened the Atari border gates, since then they had to wait here throughout the day.
23:52As political tensions escalate, the human cost of terror and its aftermath is now playing out at the border.
24:03With Aseem Bassi at Atari Baga border, Bureau Report, India Today.
24:09So the step of closing down the Atari border was taken by India last week as part of a series of diplomatic strikes on Pakistan.
24:25So in our next report, I explain to you why India has taken the step
24:29and how Pakistan feels the pinch because of trade being cut off with the Atari border closed.
24:34India's decision to close the Atari border in the wake of the Pahalgaam terror attack
24:41is set to severely cripple trade with Pakistan and Pakistan's economy as well.
24:46Located near Amritsar in India and Baga in Pakistan,
24:50the Atari-Baga border served as the sole permissible trade route between India and Pakistan.
24:56The Atari-Baga land road was first opened in 2005 and truck movement on this road began two years later in 2007.
25:05The integrated check post at Atari was inaugurated on April 13, 2012 under the then UPA government
25:12with provisions of facilities for fast and cost-effective land trade.
25:17Now what we're seeing right now, this trade hiatus, isn't the first between the two neighbours.
25:22Even post the 1965 war, the 1971 war, the bilateral trade faced a huge setback.
25:28Borders were shut, were heavily fortified and militarised.
25:32Trade relations no-strived also in 2019 following the Pulwama terror attack.
25:38Post-Pulwama, India imposed a 200% duty on Pakistani goods
25:43and stripped its neighbour of the most favoured nation status.
25:48India had granted the most favoured nation or MFN status to Pakistan way back in 1996,
25:54but the neighbouring country had not reciprocated.
25:57Under the MFN pact, a WTO member country is obliged to treat the other trading nation
26:04in a non-discriminatory manner, especially with regard to customs duty and other levies.
26:09In 2012, Pakistan had committed to giving the most favoured nation status to India,
26:15but retracted later due to domestic opposition.
26:18Now let's talk about the numbers, about trade between India and Pakistan over the years.
26:22According to official data, India exported items such as soybean, poultry feed,
26:28vegetables, red chillies, plastic granules, plastic yarn,
26:31and then they've imported goods like dry fruits, dates, gypsum, cement, glass, rock, salt and herbs
26:38from Pakistan via the land port at Atari.
26:41India is clearly less dependent on Pakistan, with exports far exceeding imports.
26:48India's exports to Pakistan from April 2024 to January 2025,
26:52just for that period, stood at $447 million,
26:56while imports were a meagre $0.42 million.
26:59So just see that difference.
27:01The exports and imports between 2023 to 2024 were $1.18 billion and $2.88 million respectively.
27:10Again, huge difference in the exports and imports.
27:13If you go back in time, we talk about 2022 to 2023,
27:17India exported goods worth $627 million.
27:20Between 2021 and 2022, that amount was lesser.
27:24It was $514 million.
27:26And you compare that to imported products.
27:28Remember the figure of $627 million of exports.
27:32Imports was against that at $20 million.
27:35And then $2.5 million was the figure of imported goods between 2021 to 2022.
27:42Total cargo movement also dropped from 49,102 consignments in 2018 to 2019
27:50to just $3,827 in 2022 to 2023.
27:56So in the last few years, you're also seeing trade taking a big hit.
28:00This hasn't helped Pakistan.
28:02The aid-dependent Pakistani economy is facing recurring bouts of high inflation
28:07as well as widespread social unrest.
28:09Pakistan experienced a crazy economic crisis as part of the 2022 political unrest,
28:15where inflation skyrocketed to 38% as of May 2023, causing severe economic challenges for months.
28:24Food, gas, oil prices, all the essentials, prices skyrocketed.
28:28Secession of trade with India is set to only worsen Pakistan's economic votes.
28:34So it doesn't spell good news for them.
28:36The IMF, which is the International Monetary Fund, has revised Pakistan's growth forecast downwards as expected to just 2.6%.
28:45They've cited the impact of U.S. tariffs and have also warned that increasing global trade tensions would further hamper growth for Pakistan.
28:53Now, while direct trade between India and Pakistan via the Atari has been minuscule post the Pulwama attack in 2019,
29:01Afghan goods were still entering India via this route.
29:04Around 40 to 45 Afghan trucks carrying dry fruits, apples, other goods were reaching Atari daily.
29:10This movement has now ceased after Pakistan has denied passage to Afghan trucks.
29:16It's important to note that only Afghan imports were allowed through this route.
29:20Indian exports to Afghanistan were never permitted through Atari.
29:25Indian exports were already taking alternate routes.
29:27We're talking about sea and land routes using the Iranian seaport of Chabahar.
29:32Now, in 2024 to 2025, India's exports to Afghanistan was $264 million,
29:37while imports much higher at $591 million.
29:41So, again, a very similar trend as India-Pakistan.
29:45The shutdown of the Atari Vaga route for Afghan imports has led to a complete pause in goods movement via this land corridor.
29:52The governments are actively working on a solution.
29:55The biggest problem, however, remains for Pakistan.
29:58The Atari border closed.
30:01Pakistani visas revoked.
30:03A series of steps taken by the Indian government since the April 22nd Pahlkam attack.
30:09Again, a reminder, it's been 10 days since that attack.
30:11We're going to continue tracking all the updates that come in.
30:14But it's a wrap on this edition of NewsTrack.
30:17Thanks very much for tuning in.
30:18Good night.
30:19Good night.