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Pakistan briefs foreign envoys for second day amid escalating tensions with India
For the second consecutive day on Friday, Pakistan briefed Islamabad-based foreign diplomats on the rising tension with India in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. read more
Pakistan on Friday continued its diplomatic outreach to address growing friction with India, convening a second day of briefings for foreign envoys in Islamabad following the deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
According to a statement from the Foreign Office, Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch met with ambassadors and diplomatic representatives stationed in the capital to update them on Islamabad's position regarding the attack and its aftermath.
Baloch conveyed the conclusions from Pakistan's National Security Committee meeting, firmly rejecting India's allegations that Pakistan had any involvement in the incident.
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The attack on Tuesday saw gunmen open fire in the Pahalgam region, killing 26 people—mostly tourists—in what has become the most lethal assault in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing. The Resistance Front (TRF), widely believed to be a front for the banned Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the massacre.
Baloch also cautioned against India's escalatory actions and reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to respond firmly to any aggressive moves.
In New Delhi, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Wednesday decided, among other things, to close the Integrated Check Post at Attari with immediate effect.
Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and any such visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled, it was announced.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said all existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals stand revoked with effect from April 27 and added that the medical visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be valid only till April 29.
Mirroring India's steps, Islamabad on Thursday closed the Wagah border post, cancelled visas given to Indians under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and asked military advisers at the Indian High Commission to leave.
'All cross-border transit from India through this route shall be suspended, without exception. Those who have crossed with valid endorsements may return through that route immediately but not later than April 30,' Pakistan said.
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Earlier on Thursday, Baloch briefed a group of Islamabad-based Heads of Mission and diplomats on the evolving situation following the Pahalgam attack.
She condemned what she described as an 'Indian misinformation campaign against Pakistan', stating that such tactics would obstruct the path to peace and stability in the region.
The Foreign Secretary underscored that Pakistan has always rejected terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
With inputs from agencies
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