Daily Briefing: ‘Technical intelligence’ suggests Pak ‘link’ in Pahalgam terror attack, says Delhi; Ground Zero movie review

‘Not even a drop…’: A day after suspending the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), the government looked at the options available to utilise the waters of the Indus Basin rivers in the short, medium and long terms. Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil said, “We will ensure that not even a drop of water from the Indus river goes to Pakistan.” The government is exploring all legal and technical aspects of possible measures, including water diversion, that can be taken in the near future.

‘Measured’ response: Meanwhile, Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif has admitted the country’s history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations as “dirty work” for the West, a mistake for which he said Pakistan had suffered, according to a PTI report. The minister said the country is prepared to respond “in kind,” when asked if Pakistan fears an escalation as a result of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. “We will measure our response to whatever is initiated by India according to that. It would be a measured response, if there is an all-out attack or something like that, then obviously there will be an all-out war,” Asif said in an interview to Sky News, the report stated.

Iran mediates: Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Iran has offered to mediate between the two neighbours. Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X, “India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbors of Iran, enjoying relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilisational ties. Like other neighbors, we consider them our foremost priority.”

⚡ Only in Express

On April 22, as news of the terrorist attack spread and the toll from the attack at Baisaran in Pahalgam kept mounting, neighbouring districts began sending their ambulances. The blood bank and the ICU were alerted, and entry into the Government Medical College (GMC) in Anantnag — one of the biggest government hospitals in South Kashmir with a heavy footfall of patients — was cleared. Six senior doctors of the hospital — cardiologists, surgeons and anaesthesiologists, including Dr Najeeb — and extra staff were ready as the patients began to be wheeled in. Read our exclusive on how the Anantnag hospital coped up following the attack.

💡 Express Explained

In its retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, India has decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 (IWT) “in abeyance” besides announcing a slew of diplomatic measures. Pakistan, too, said it “shall exercise the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India, including but not limited to the Simla Agreement, in abeyance.” While the immediate impact of this step would be limited, what would it mean in the long run? We explain.

✍️ Express Opinion

In our Opinion section today, Anju Gupta sheds light on India’s actions towards Pakistan, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, that would enable the neighbouring country to give up its policy of ‘proxy wars’. Gupta writes: “A neighbour can’t just be wished away from the strategic vision of a nation like India that is steadily progressing on the path of growth and prosperity. Making peace with a neighbour is rewarding, pragmatic and smart politics — it is not a weakness.”

🍿 Movie Review

In these fraught times, a new theatrical watch starring Emraan Hashmi, Ground Zero, could just find some space on your watchlist. The film transports you to 2003 when BSF officer Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey, played by Hashmi, located and took out terrorist kingpin Ghazi Baba and his accomplices. It focuses on the tough life of the BSF jawans and other security forces in the conflict-stricken Kashmir valley. Shubhra Gupta, in her review, highlights that the film “takes time to build an atmosphere of tension — stepping out to a market, even with your armed mates around you, can be your last day alive — is perhaps the much-needed kind of balance a film can achieve in these fraught times.”

That’s all for today. Have a lovely weekend!

Until next time,
Ariba

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