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Pakistan’s leader said his nation was open to a neutral investigation on Saturday into a deadly attack in Indian-run Kashmir that New Delhi blames on Islamabad, and that has sent fraught relations into a tailspin with soldiers exchanging gunfire across their contested frontier.Islamabad denies involvement in the April 22 attack on tourists in Pahalgam, where a gang of gunmen killed 26 men in the worst attack on civilians in Kashmir for a quarter of a century.But India is adamant in it is accusation that Pakistan is supporting “cross-border terrorism”.Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men — two Pakistanis and an Indian — who they say are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation.Rejecting Indian claims, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said the country was “open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation” into the attack.Indian security forces have launched a giant manhunt for those responsible for the attack in Pahalgam, blowing up homes in Kashmir of Indian citizens suspected to be linked to the attack.Both sides have imposed a slew of diplomatic measures, and exchanged gunfire in Kashmir two times in as many days.India’s army said “unprovoked” small arms firing was carried out by “multiple” Pakistan army posts overnight.”Indian troops responded appropriately with small arms,” it said in a statement, adding that no casualties were reported.There was no confirmation from Pakistan, but both sides had confirmed gunfire between their respective forces the previous night.”Our valiant armed forces remain fully capable and prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty,” Sharif said at a military ceremony in Abbottabad. Inda’s information ministry on Saturday warned broadcasters to “refrain from showing live coverage of defence operations” in the “interest of national security”, and referencing the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan.The United Nations has urged the neighbours, which have fought multiple wars, to show “maximum restraint”.Iran’s foreign ministry said Saturday that Tehran has offered to play mediator, a day after a senior Saudi official said Riyadh was trying to “prevent an escalation”.US President Donald Trump has downplayed the tensions, saying that the dispute will get “figured out, one way or another”.- Divided for decades -Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. Both claim the territory in full but govern separate portions of it.Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.A day after the attack, New Delhi suspended a water-sharing treaty, announced the closure of the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties and withdrew visas for Pakistanis.Islamabad in response ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelled visas for Indian nationals — with the exception of Sikh pilgrims — and closed the main border crossing from its side.Pakistan also warned that any attempt by India to stop water supplies from the Indus River would be an “act of war”.At the frontier, created at the end of British rule when the sub-continent was partitioned into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, distraught citizens crossed.The measures have abruptly ended rare visits to see relatives separated for generations by the border.Vikram Udasi, an Indian doctor, said his family was “caught in the middle” with his Pakistani wife and their child stuck on the other side of the Attari-Wagah border crossing.”Please allow them to return. Go ahead, cancel tourist and other short-term visas, but let those with families and long-term visas return, please,” begged the 37-year-old.Pahalgam marks a dramatic shift in recent Kashmiri rebel attacks, which typically target Indian security forces.Experts say that an Indian military response may still be in the pipeline.In 2019, a suicide attack killed 41 Indian troops in Kashmir and triggered Indian air strikes inside Pakistan, bringing the countries to the brink of all-out war.

Pakistan’s leader announced his readiness to defend the country on Saturday, after New Delhi blamed a deadly attack in Indian-run Kashmir on Islamabad, sending already fraught relations into a tailspin with soldiers exchanging gunfire across their contested frontier.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also called for a “neutral investigation”, with India accusing Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism” after gunmen carried out the worst attack on civilians in Kashmir for a quarter of a century.Islamabad denies involvement in the April 22 attack on tourists in Pahalgam, where a gang of gunmen killed 26 men.”Our valiant armed forces remain fully capable and prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty,” Sharif said at a military ceremony in Abbottabad.Both sides have imposed a slew of diplomatic measures, and exchanged gunfire in Kashmir two times in as many days.India’s army said “unprovoked” small arms firing was carried out by “multiple” Pakistan army posts overnight.”Indian troops responded appropriately with small arms,” it said in a statement, adding that no casualties were reported.There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan, but both sides had confirmed gunfire between their respective forces the previous night.The United Nations has urged the neighbours, which have fought multiple wars, to show “maximum restraint”.Iran’s foreign ministry said Saturday that Tehran has offered to play mediator, a day after a senior Saudi official said Riyadh was trying to “prevent an escalation”.US President Donald Trump has downplayed the tensions, saying that the dispute will get “figured out, one way or another”.- ‘Track and punish’ -Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. Both claim the territory in full but govern separate portions of it.Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.Indian security forces have launched a giant manhunt for those responsible for the attack in Pahalgam, with police naming two Pakistani nationals among the fugitives.Indian police say three of the gunmen are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation, and issued a bounty for their arrest.Indian troops blew up homes in Kashmir in their search and issued wanted posters with sketches of three men.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said his country would “track and punish every terrorist and their backer”, vowing to “pursue them to the ends of the Earth”.Pakistan’s Sharif said the country was “open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation” in the attack.A day after the attack, New Delhi suspended a water-sharing treaty, announced the closure of the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties, and withdrew visas for Pakistanis.Islamabad in response ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals — with the exception of Sikh pilgrims — and closing the main border crossing from its side.Pakistan also warned that any attempt by India to stop water supplies from the Indus River would be an “act of war”.At the frontier, created at the end of British rule when the sub-continent was partitioned into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, distraught citizens crossed.The measures have abruptly ended rare visits to see relatives separated for generations by the border.Among those at the Wagah border leaving Pakistan was 39-year-old Ghaffar Musafir, who was returning to his home in Indian-administered Kashmir.”I’m Indian. I love India, but my family is here,” he said. “And it’s not like I hate Pakistan. I love Pakistan too.”Pahalgam marks a dramatic shift in recent Kashmiri rebel attacks, which typically target Indian security forces.Experts say that an Indian military response may still be in the pipeline.In 2019, a suicide attack killed 41 Indian troops in Kashmir and triggered Indian air strikes inside Pakistan, bringing the countries to the brink of all-out war.

Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged gunfire overnight in contested Kashmir for a second day running, the Indian army said Saturday, following a deadly shooting that New Delhi blames its arch-rival.Relations have plunged to their lowest level in years, with India accusing Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism” after gunmen carried out the worst attack on civilians in contested Muslim-majority Kashmir for a quarter of a century.Islamabad denies involvement, and calls attempts to link Pakistan to the attack at Pahalgam “frivolous”.India’s army said “unprovoked” small arms firing was carried out by “multiple” Pakistan army posts “all across the Line of Control in Kashmir” overnight from Friday to Saturday.”Indian troops responded appropriately with small arms,” it said in a statement. “No casualties reported.”There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan, but the two sides had confirmed gunfire between their respective forces the previous night.The United Nations has urged the neighbours, who have fought multiple wars in the past, to show “maximum restraint”.US President Donald Trump has downplayed the tensions, saying that the dispute will get “figured out, one way or another”.- ‘Reciprocal measures’ -Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. Both claim the territory in full but govern separate portions of it.Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.Indian security forces have launched a giant manhunt for those responsible for killing 26 men at the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam on Tuesday, with police naming two Pakistani nationals among the fugitive gunmen.Indian police say three of the gunmen are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation, and issued a bounty for their arrest.On Friday Indian troops blew up homes in Kashmir in their search and issued wanted posters with sketches of three men.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said his country would “track and punish every terrorist and their backer”, vowing “We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.”A day later, Pakistan’s Senate passed a resolution condemning a “campaign by the Indian government to malign the Pakistan government”.Islamabad has warned that “any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and to the security of its people will be met with firm reciprocal measures”.A day after the attack, New Delhi suspended a water-sharing treaty, announced the closure of the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties, and withdrew visas for Pakistanis.Islamabad in response ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals — with the exception of Sikh pilgrims — and closing the main border crossing from its side.Pakistan also warned that any attempt by India to stop water supply from the Indus River would be an “act of war”.At the frontier, created at the end of British rule when the sub-continent was partitioned into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, distraught citizens crossed.The measures have abruptly ended rare visits to see relatives separated for generations by the border.Among those at the Wagah border leaving Pakistan was 39-year-old Ghaffar Musafir, who was returning to his home in Indian-administered Kashmir.”I’m Indian, I love India, but my family is here”, he said. “And it’s not like I hate Pakistan — I love Pakistan too”.Pahalgam marks a dramatic shift in recent Kashmiri rebel attacks, which typically target Indian security forces.Experts say that an Indian military response may still be in the pipeline.In 2019, a suicide attack killed 41 Indian troops in Kashmir and triggered Indian air strikes inside Pakistan, bringing the countries to the brink of all-out war.

Rapidly deteriorating relations between India and Pakistan over a deadly shooting in Kashmir are starting to have small but prickly economic consequences for both nations.The killing of 26 men on Tuesday in Indian-administered Kashmir, the deadliest attack on civilians in the Himalayan region in a quarter of a century, triggered public outrage across the world’s most populous country.India has unveiled a series of mostly symbolic diplomatic measures against Pakistan, after accusing its regional rival of supporting “cross-border terrorism”.Islamabad, which rejected the allegations, responded Thursday with similar tit-for-tat measures — but upped the ante by halting trade with New Delhi and closing its airspace to Indian airlines. Experts say that while the retaliatory moves will not have an immediate or far-reaching impact, it will likely result in longer and more expensive flights for Indians, while forcing Pakistan to increase pharmaceutical imports from other countries.Pakistan’s decision to close its airspace to carriers from its neighbour will see journeys from India to Central Asia, Europe and North America take up to two hours longer.”We are currently looking at, on average, an extra 60 minutes to 120 minutes for flights depending on where they go,” Sanjay Lazar, aviation expert and CEO of Avialaz Consultants, told AFP. – ‘Sabre rattle’ -Pakistan’s move is expected to hurt Air India, owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Group, the most.Air India said that some flights to North America, Europe and the Middle East will have to take an “alternative extended route”.And the extra flying time may eventually make flights more expensive.”There is extra fuel burn, because you’re taking a more circuitous route,” Lazar said.”And if you add an extra stop on the route, then you incur additional crew and landing costs too.”Airfares could rise if restrictions continue beyond six months, though airlines are unlikely to hike up fares immediately to avoid the risk of “not appearing patriotic enough”, he added.Mark D Martin, of Martin Consulting, said ticket prices could rise by more than 35 percent to Middle East destinations and by over 45 percent to Europe.”It’s always the airline business that gets impacted when India and Pakistan spar and sabre rattle,” Martin said.”Let’s hope better sense prevails, and this situation deescalates, as this will have an earning impact on airline financials.”Indian government data shows that when Islamabad closed its airspace in 2019 — after New Delhi hit it with airstrikes in response to an attack in Kashmir — domestic airlines saw a financial cost of nearly 5.5 billion rupees ($64.3 million) during the nearly five-month-long shutdown.- Third country trade -But analysts say Pakistan’s decision to halt trade is unlikely to have a major impact, as regular diplomatic flare-ups between the two nations over decades have prevented close economic ties.India exported less than $450 million in goods to Pakistan between April 2024 and January 2025, a tiny fraction of its overall shipments.Key items included pharmaceutical products worth over $110 million, and sugar worth over $85 million.”Imports from Pakistan were negligible — just $0.42 million, limited to niche items like figs, basil and rosemary herbs,” Ajay Srivastava of Global Trade Research Initiative, a New Delhi-based think tank, said in a briefing note.But Islamabad also said Thursday it had suspended “all trade with India” including “to and from any third country through Pakistan”.It is not immediately clear how this would impact indirect trade through countries such as the United Arab Emirates or Singapore. Indirect trade is far higher, totalling around $10 billion, according to Srivastava.”Informal sources say that Pakistan imports several Indian products this way, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cotton and yarn,” he said.”On the other hand, India may receive Himalayan pink salt and dry fruits such as dates, apricots, and almonds from Pakistan, also routed through third countries.”

Troops from Pakistan and India exchanged fire in disputed Kashmir, officials said Friday, after the United Nations urged the nuclear-armed rivals to show “maximum restraint” following a deadly shooting in the region.Relations have plunged to their lowest level in years, with India accusing Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism” after gunmen carried out the worst attack on civilians in contested Muslim-majority Kashmir for a quarter of a century.Syed Ashfaq Gilani, a government official in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, told AFP Friday that troops exchanged fire along the Line of Control (LOC) that separates the two countries.”There was no firing on the civilian population,” he added.India’s army confirmed there had been limited firing of small arms that it said had been “initiated by Pakistan”, adding it had been “effectively responded to”.Indian security forces have launched a giant manhunt for those responsible for killing 26 men at the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam on Tuesday, with police naming two Pakistani nationals among the fugitive gunmen.On Friday Indian troops blew up homes in Kashmir in their search and issued wanted posters with sketches of three men.Islamabad denies involvement, and calls attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack “frivolous”.”Any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and to the security of its people will be met with firm reciprocal measures in all domains,” a statement said, after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a rare National Security Committee with top military chiefs.Pakistan’s Senate on Friday passed a resolution condemning a “campaign by the Indian government to malign the Pakistan government”.- Water treaty suspended -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier said his country would “track and punish every terrorist and their backer.””We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.”UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that issues between the countries “can be and should be resolved peacefully through meaningful mutual engagement”.Meanwhile US President Donald Trump downplayed the tensions, saying aboard Air Force One that the dispute will get “figured out, one way or another”.Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. Both claim the territory in full but govern separate portions of it.Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.Indian police say three of the gunmen are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation, and issued a bounty for their arrest.- ‘Reduce it to dust’ -A day after the attack, New Delhi suspended a water-sharing treaty, announced the closure of the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties, and withdrew visas for Pakistanis.Islamabad in response ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals — with the exception of Sikh pilgrims — and closing the main border crossing from its side.Pakistan also warned that any attempt by India to stop water supply from the Indus River would be an “act of war”.At the frontier, created at the end of British rule when the sub-continent was partitioned into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, distraught citizens crossed.The measures have abruptly ended rare visits to see relatives separated for generations by the border.Among those at the Wagah border leaving Pakistan was 39-year-old Ghaffar Musafir, who was returning to his home in Indian-administered Kashmir.”I’m Indian, I love India, but my family is here”, he said. “And it’s not like I hate Pakistan — I love Pakistan too”.Pahalgam marks a dramatic shift in recent Kashmiri rebel attacks, which typically target Indian security forces.The UN Security Council, in a declaration Friday, condemned the “terrorist attack” and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.Experts say that a military response may still be in the pipeline.In 2019, a suicide attack killed 41 Indian troops in Kashmir and triggered Indian air strikes inside Pakistan, bringing the countries to the brink of all-out war.Tuesday’s assault happened as tourists enjoyed tranquil mountain views at the popular site at Pahalgam, when gunmen burst out of forests and raked crowds with automatic weapons.Survivors told Indian media the gunmen targeted men and spared those who could give the Islamic declaration of faith.Most of those killed were Hindus, but also included a local Kashmiri Muslim guide, who died trying to stop the attackers.burs-pjm/mtp

Two months ago, Haider Ali waved goodbye to his wife as she left Pakistan, crossing the border to visit her family in India. Now the couple are not sure when they will see each other again.Pakistan and India are locked in an escalating diplomatic war of words after New Delhi said Islamabad was linked to a militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir this week.Both sides have cancelled visas for Indian and Pakistani nationals respectively and ordered them to leave, before both shut their busiest border crossing in Punjab.”She’s on the Indian side of the border and they’re not letting her cross. I’m extremely worried,” Ali, a 31-year-old heating technician, told AFP.Ali said his wife, an Indian national, has a Pakistani visa valid until November and was due to return home to Karachi soon, as he waited for news on the Pakistani side of the crossing.”The real terrorists should be caught and action taken against them, but it’s ordinary people like us who are suffering unjustly,” he added.Indian police have launched a manhunt for the fugitive gunmen, two of whom they say are Pakistani.The orders for Pakistanis and Indians to return home has distressed many families of mixed nationalities, who often struggle to obtain visas because of poor relations between Hindu-majority Indian and Muslim-majority Pakistan.Yasmine, 54, who gave up her Indian passport to marry a Pakistani, rushed to the border to return home after visiting family in India for the first time in 15 years.While she crossed with her Pakistani papers, her niece travelling with her and also married to a Pakistani was left stranded at the border, prevented from crossing back into the country because she only has an Indian passport.”She’s just crying. We absolutely must give her a visa as soon as possible. Her four children are here in Pakistan, waiting for her,” Yasmine told AFP.- ‘To part like this’ -The measures have also abruptly ended rare visits to see relatives separated for generations by the border, born out of India’s independence from the British in 1947.”I’m Indian, I love India, but my family is here. And it’s not like I hate Pakistan — I love Pakistan too,” said 39-year-old Ghaffar Musafir, who lives in Indian-administered Kashmir.He had hoped to spend longer rekindling ties with his relatives, travelling to the Pakistani city of Lahore to apply for an extension before diplomatic relations plunged.”And now I’m leaving my family behind — you can see for yourself the kind of connection we have, how it feels to part like this.”Pakistan’s foreign ministry said it did not know how many Indian nationals were in the country, but said Sikh pilgrims would be allowed to stay.”We can only hope that things get better as soon as possible,” said Musafir, before heading east, behind rows of barriers, soldiers, and flags.

Nepal marked on Friday the 10th anniversary of a massive earthquake that killed almost 9,000 people and left millions more homeless.The 7.8-magnitude quake on April 25, 2015, triggered avalanches and landslides across the Himalayan nation and flattened villages.Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli attended a memorial ceremony at the site of Dharahara tower, one of many buildings that crumbled in the quake.”We are vulnerable to other natural disasters such as floods, landslides, and are more prone to earthquakes. We need to prepare ahead against natural calamities,” Oli said.The 19th-century, nine-storey Dharahara tower toppled during the earthquake, killing more than 50 people.A replica has been built next to the rubble of the original.Attendees, including civil servants and local residents, observed a moment of silence at 11:56 am, the time the quake struck. Oli lit candles in memory of those who were killed.”I would like to offer my condolences to those all who lost their lives,” Oli said.At the historic Patan Durbar Square, people recounted harrowing tales of the day.”Whenever I remember that day, I still feel anxious,” Rajshree Maharjan told AFP.”I had just finished my meal when the quake struck. My neighbour’s house collapsed, and four people were killed after being buried under the rubble.”Memorials were held in several of the affected districts across the country.The aftermath of the quake exposed deep cracks in Nepal’s disaster response system and the rebuilding efforts were initially hit by political infighting, bureaucracy and confusion.Since then, significant progress have been made. According to official figures, nearly 90 percent of the homes destroyed have been rebuilt, alongside thousands of schools, health institutions, and public buildings.Temples and cultural landmarks are also slowly rising again.

Survivors of the deadliest attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir for years described how gunmen burst out of the forest to rake holidaymakers with automatic weapons.The attack killing 26 men has enraged India, with New Delhi accusing neighbouring Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism”.Pakistan denies responsibility.Eyewitness accounts and Indian media reports suggest it was a well-planned and targeted attack designed to send a brutal message to New Delhi.Holidaymakers escaping the sweltering heat of India’s lowland plains were enjoying the tranquil meadows of the Baisaran Valley on Tuesday.The popular site lies beneath snowcapped mountains near the town of Pahalgam.Gunmen stormed out of the pine forests, firing automatic weapons.Indian media reported that the gunmen wore body cameras to record their attack.The shooters — who Indian police identified as two Pakistani citizens and one Indian — separated men from women and children.A witness told AFP that they “very clearly spared women and kept shooting at men”. – ‘Go tell Modi’ -One woman said she had told the gunmen to kill her too, after they executed her husband in front of her.The woman, Pallavi, said that the men told her they left her alive to send a message to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”Go tell Modi,” the gunmen said, Pallavi told the Economic Times.Some survivors said the attackers asked people’s religion, and demanded they recite the Islamic declaration of faith.The cousin of one of the men killed said he was asked by the attackers if he was Muslim before they shot him in the head, but spared his wife.”They pointed the gun…and said ‘tell your government what we have done,” Shubham Dwivedi’s cousin told India Today. Other survivors told broadcaster NDTV that if the emergency response had been quicker the lives of some of those shot but not killed outright might have been saved.Shital Kalathiya, whose husband was killed, said what happened “broke” her.”What shocked us the most was that there was not a single security person present,” she told the Hindustan Times newspaper.”If they knew that such risks were present at that place, they shouldn’t have let anyone go up there.”

The United Nations urged India and Pakistan to show “maximum restraint” as the nuclear-armed rivals imposed tit-for-tat diplomatic measures over a deadly shooting in Kashmir.Relations have plunged to their lowest level in years, with India accusing Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism” after gunmen carried out the worst attack on civilians in contested Muslim-majority Kashmir for a quarter of a century.”We very much appeal to both the governments… to exercise maximum restraint, and to ensure that the situation and the developments we’ve seen do not deteriorate any further,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Thursday.”Any issues between Pakistan and India, we believe, can be and should be resolved peacefully through meaningful mutual engagement”.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed to hunt down the gunmen responsible for killing 26 civilians at the popular tourist site of Pahalgam, after Indian police identified two of the three fugitive gunmen as Pakistani.”I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,” Modi said, in his first speech since Tuesday’s attack in the Himalayan region.”We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.”Denying any involvement, Islamabad called attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack “frivolous” and vowed to respond to any Indian action.”Any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and to the security of its people will be met with firm reciprocal measures in all domains,” a Pakistani statement said, after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a rare National Security Committee with top military chiefs.Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since its independence in 1947, with both claiming the territory in full but governing separate portions of it.Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.India’s air force and navy both carried out military exercises Thursday.Indian police say the three gunmen are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation. They offered a two million rupee ($23,500) bounty for information leading to each man’s arrest.A day after the attack, New Delhi suspended a water-sharing treaty, announced the closure of the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties, and withdrew visas for Pakistanis.In response, Islamabad on Thursday ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals — with the exception of Sikh pilgrims — and closing the main border crossing from its side.Pakistan also warned any attempt by India to stop the supply of water from the Indus River would be an “act of war.”- ‘Reduce it to dust’ -Pahalgam marks a dramatic shift in recent Kashmiri rebel attacks, which typically target Indian security forces.Experts say that a military response may still be in the pipeline, with some speculating that it may come within days while others say weeks. In 2019, a suicide attack killed 41 Indian troops in Kashmir and triggered Indian air strikes inside Pakistan, bringing the countries to the brink of all-out war. “Whatever little land these terrorists have, it’s time to reduce it to dust,” Modi said on Thursday, after holding two minutes of silence in memory of those killed, all but one of whom was Indian.India has taken its time to respond to past attacks.The worst attack in recent years in Indian-run Kashmir was at Pulwama in 2019, when insurgents rammed a car packed with explosives into a police convoy, killing 40 and wounding 35.Indian fighter jets carried out air strikes on Pakistani territory 12 days later.Tuesday’s assault occurred as tourists enjoyed tranquil mountain views at the popular site at Pahalgam, when gunmen burst out of forests and raked crowds with automatic weapons.Survivors told Indian media the gunmen targeted men and spared those who could give the Islamic declaration of faith.Indian security forces have launched a vast manhunt for the attackers, with large numbers of people detained.The attack has enraged Hindu nationalist groups, and students from Kashmir at institutions across India have reported experiencing harassment and intimidation.burs-pjm/dhc

A decade has passed since a massive earthquake ripped through Nepal, but in Ram Bahadur Nakarmi’s home the damage is still visible — and so is the fear another might strike. Ten years ago, on April 25, 2015, the ground beneath Nepal shuddered with a magnitude-7.8 earthquake, killing nearly 9,000 people, injuring over 22,000, and leaving millions homeless.The disaster also reduced monuments to ruins, including centuries-old temples and royal palaces in the Kathmandu valley that attracted visitors from around the world.Nakarmi’s four-storey home in historic Bhaktapur city was damaged, but financial constraints made it impossible for him to rebuild.The 61-year-old continues to live in his house despite the cracks.  “Even now, it is still scary,” Nakarmi told AFP. “We are still feeling the tremors and they terrify us — we run outside the house”.The aftermath of the quake exposed deep cracks in Nepal’s disaster response system and the rebuilding efforts were initially hit by political infighting, bureaucracy and confusion.Yet over the last decade, significant progress have been made.According to official figures, nearly 90 percent of the homes destroyed have been rebuilt, alongside thousands of schools, health institutions, and public buildings.Temples and cultural landmarks are also slowly rising again.A joint assessment of affected districts by Nepal’s National Society for Earthquake Technology, and the international Global Quake Model showed marked improvements for resilience in the face of another quake. They estimated there had been a 44 percent reduction in the number of buildings at risk of complete collapse, after Nepal’s rebuilding and retrofitting drive. “Our initial years were focused on rebuilding. Now our focus should be in areas which were not affected in 2015 but are at risk of a quake,” Dinesh Prasad Bhatt chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), told AFP.”We have to extend the reach of lessons learnt from the earthquake to all parts of the country.”- ‘Inadequate progress’ – The disaster was a wake up call for a country that is situated on a dangerous geological faultline, where the Indian tectonic plate collides with the Eurasian plate to form the Himalayas.According to the UN, Nepal ranks 11th in terms of earthquake risk.Experts question if the country is prepared for the next one.In the decade since the quake, the country has taken important steps. The NDRRMA disaster reduction and management authority was established, and building codes were updated to reflect seismic safety standards. Unlike 2015, there are elected members at local levels responsible for mobilising rescue teams, volunteers and stockpiles of emergency resources in case of a disaster. “If you really look into a holistic picture, compared to what we had back in 2015 and right now, we’ve made massive progress,” said Anil Pokharel, a former NDRRMA chief.”But still, it is inadequate given the kind of growing risks.”Experts say that while Kathmandu’s skyline now includes more reinforced buildings, rural areas — where infrastructure is weaker and access to resources limited — remain exposed.Only 9.4 percent of structures were revealed to be safe in a 2023 integrity assessment of nearly 29,000 buildings of schools, health centres and government offices across the country by the NDRRMA.Implementation of disaster preparedness policies and building codes is also inconsistent. “Nepal has made many policies learning from the 2015 quake experience, but policies are only pieces of paper that dictate the system,” said Surya Narayan Shrestha, from the National Society for Earthquake Technology.”To make the system itself effective, we need people… and systems that have that capacity.” – ‘Dangerously underprepared’ -David Sislen, the World Bank chief Nepal, said that despite better policies and institutional framework, the country remains “dangerously underprepared for a major disaster”.”Without stronger enforcement and implementation of risk reduction and mitigation measures, the physical footprint of vulnerability will continue to grow, putting people, services and assets are risk,” Sislen said.He added that there was a need for “a phased financing strategy for retrofitting schools, hospitals, and other vital infrastructure”.Records at the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center show that over 800 earthquakes with a magnitude of four or above have struck Nepal since the 2015 quake.Every tremor takes Shri Krishna Chhusyabada, a quake survivor who lost three of his family members under the rubble of his house, back to the fateful day. “It was a black day for us. That day took away all our happiness,” Chhusyabada said. “I hope we never see such devastation again.”