India’s top political figures expressed rare unity following the strikes. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar urged the world to take a zero-tolerance stance on terrorism. Home Minister Amit Shah praised the military for “Operation Sindoor.” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted pride in the Indian Army, while TMC’s Mamata Banerjee and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi welcomed the offensive as a justified response to cross-border terrorism.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had prior knowledge of the recent Kashmir attack but failed to act, alleged Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. “Intelligence warned the Prime Minister three days before the attack, and he canceled his trip accordingly. Yet no preventive measures were taken,” Kharge claimed. Meanwhile, India has launched its largest nationwide civil defense drill since 1971, involving over 400,000 volunteers across cities and villages. The drill will run through May 9.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed that the decision to cancel the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan will not be reversed. Blaming Pakistan for recent attacks in Kashmir, Modi said, “India's waters will now serve only Indian interests.” He added, “Previously, water under India’s rights was flowing outside the country. That will no longer happen. These waters will be preserved and utilized solely for India’s progress.”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over military operations conducted across the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border by India. His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, stated that the Secretary-General has urged both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum military restraint. He warned that the world cannot afford a military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

India has launched missile strikes in Pakistan amid escalating tensions following the recent Kashmir attack. The strikes, carried out early Wednesday, targeted Kotli, Bahawalpur, and Muzaffarabad, according to Pakistan’s military spokesperson. India also initiated "Operation Sindoor," hitting nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. While Pakistan condemned the attacks as cowardly, India clarified that no military installations were targeted. The strikes mark a significant escalation in the already strained relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

India is ramping up its border surveillance by adding 16 new battalions to the Border Security Force (BSF), bringing in nearly 17,000 additional personnel. The country is also establishing two new forward headquarters—one in Jammu to enhance operations along the Pakistan border, and another in Mizoram to focus on the eastern frontier with Bangladesh. The move signals heightened vigilance and intelligence operations on both borders.

Indian opposition parties have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of orchestrating the Pahalgam attack as a 'false flag operation' to gain political advantage ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections. The opposition also criticized the media’s portrayal of the incident, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi planning to visit the affected families, while senior journalist Archana Tiwari condemned the media's biased coverage.

Amid rising tensions over Kashmir, India has halted the flow of water from the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River into Pakistan. Delhi is also considering similar action at the Kishanganga Dam. This move follows a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people and prompted India to suspend long-standing water-sharing agreements.

Citing security warnings, Hindustan Times reported that Indian intelligence agencies had alerted local authorities about a potential attack in Kashmir ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s planned visit to Srinagar on April 19. The visit was cancelled four days prior due to "weather concerns." The attack on April 22 occurred in the Pahalgam region, about 90 km from Srinagar.

The Express Tribune reports that Indian journalist Archana Tiwari’s investigation highlighted inconsistencies in the official narrative of the Pahalgam incident. Tiwari questioned whether the alleged attack on a newlywed couple and the husband’s reported death were fabricated. A Kashmiri driver confirmed, “Yes, it’s all false. The husband is alive—it was all staged.” She further asked if videos of the widow and a traumatized child were also fake. The driver replied, “Yes, it's all political theater. How could terrorists firing from 10 kilometers away ask about the victims’ religion?”

The Indian government has imposed an immediate ban on all imports, direct or indirect, from Pakistan. Pakistani vessels are also prohibited from docking at Indian ports. A Commerce Ministry notice stated the ban was enacted in the interest of national security and public policy. The Wagah-Attari trade route was shut down after the Pahalgam attack, though limited indirect trade continued until now. The trade volume, however, was minimal.

India and Pakistan continue to trade blame over the recent Pahalgam attack. Now, a leaked document on Telegram has added fuel to the fire, allegedly linking India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to the incident. The document outlines a plan to produce forensic evidence using vague video footage 36 hours after the attack, attempting to tie it to Pakistan’s ISI. It also suggests that hundreds of fake social media accounts and pre-arranged media outlets were used to spread disinformation. RAW agents disguised as tourists were reportedly stationed in specific areas to act as ‘eyewitnesses’ for the narrative.

Indian authorities claim the four militants responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people, are still hiding in South Kashmir’s dense forests. According to NDTV, these militants are believed to be self-sufficient in supplies, which has helped them avoid detection—suggesting no ongoing support from across the border.

India’s Supreme Court refused to hear a petition demanding a judicial probe into the recent Pahalgam attack, citing concerns over armed forces’ morale. The bench, led by Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh, advised petitioners to consider the national interest, saying, “Don’t file petitions that demoralize security forces.” Meanwhile, Pakistan has labeled the attack a “false flag operation.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has assured India of full American support for its right to self-defense during a phone call with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. The conversation followed the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which India blamed on Pakistan. Singh accused Pakistan of training and financing terror groups and destabilizing the region. Hegseth expressed solidarity with India and stressed that the world can no longer ignore state-sponsored terrorism.