Operation Sindoor Highlights: Several airports in North India closed after strikes on Pakistan

The Chandigarh administration will carry out a blackout drill for 10 minutes on Wednesday evening, appealing to people to keep electricity at their premises switched off during the rehearsal.

The decision comes in the wake of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) asking the states to conduct mock drills on Wednesday given the "new and complex threats" that have emerged amid rising tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Pakistan coalition government has endorsed an 18 per cent increase in defence spending to over ₹2.5 trillion in the next budget due to tensions with India, stated PTI on Tuesday.

The government is set to unveil the 2025-26 budget in the first week of the next month ahead of the start of the new fiscal year from July 1.

A press release from the Pakistani Prime Minister's office revealed that PM Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, and the Services Chiefs, visited the Headquarters of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on Tuesday.

The statement noted, “The Prime Minister and accompanying dignitaries underscored the imperative of heightened national vigilance, seamless inter-agency coordination, and reinforced operational readiness to deter and decisively respond to any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

It added, “The leadership reaffirmed Pakistan’s unambiguous resolve to defend the homeland against all threats—conventional or otherwise and reiterated that with Nation’s full support, the Armed Forces, supported by all other elements of national power and state institutions, remain fully prepared to uphold Pakistan’s security, prestige and honour under all circumstances.”

On Tuesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a job as a police home guard to the widow of Indian Army Havildar Jhantu Ali Sheikh, who was killed last month in a gunfight with terrorists during a search operation in Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir.

Banerjee said the state government would take care of the education of Sheikh’s children and promised to support the family in the future.

“Jhantu Ali Sheikh from Tehatta in Krishnanagar gave his life for the country. We are proud of him and pay our respects. Today, his wife Shahnaz Sheikh is being given a job as a home guard in the Krishnanagar Police District. We are also taking responsibility for the children’s education,” Banerjee said.

The BJP on Tuesday appealed to people, especially its party workers, across the country to join the mock drill on May 7.

In a post on X, the BJP said, “Appeal to all citizens, BJP Karyakartas and leaders, students to come forward and volunteer... Your participation will make all the difference.”

A Nepali Member of Parliament, Amresh Kumar Singh, said on Tuesday that an 11-member team from the Pakistani Army is currently in Kathmandu, shortly after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.

Speaking during a session in the House of Representatives, the independent MP said, "There is tension between India and Pakistan after the attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. A war could start at any time. At such a moment, the Nepal government has invited a team from the Pakistani Army. What message is our government trying to send?"

He also shared details about their arrival, saying, "The Pakistani Army team came on Qatar Airways flight number 646, led by Mansur Ansari."

Singh added, “I’m not saying that Pakistanis shouldn’t visit Nepal, but the timing isn’t right—especially when a Nepali citizen also lost their life in that terror attack.”

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has called for strong action against those responsible for the "cowardly Pahalgam attack", saying it has hurt tourism in Kashmir.

Owaisi said, "The Pahalgam attack has also affected tourism in Kashmir, which is why we are asking for strict action against the people behind it. We had raised this point during the all-party meeting as well."

He also spoke about the pain caused by the attack, explaining how tourists were targeted based on their religion, something he strongly condemns.

“It was a cowardly act. We saw how terrorists from Pakistan killed 26 tourists. What’s even more upsetting is that they separated children and women, and asked the men to say a religious prayer. Those who couldn’t recite it were killed. This is very painful. I have always stood against such attacks and I will continue to do so,” he said.

The Border Security Force and Rajasthan Police are working together to raise awareness among people living near defence areas along the state’s border, said Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police, Sudhir Choudhary.

He also warned that anyone caught giving information to Pakistan for money would face strict punishment.

“In the border areas, we are visiting places with BSF officers and talking to people living near military sites to make them aware. If anyone gives out information for money, they will face serious consequences,” Choudhary told ANI.

“If someone is doing this because they are scared or being blackmailed by people in Pakistan through their relatives, they must come and tell us… We’re keeping a close watch. Our full system, including intelligence agencies and even local people, is alert and helping us,” he added.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked why the Centre failed to deploy adequate security in Pahalgam even after having intelligence report on terror attack.

“Shouldn't Centre be accountable for loss of lives in Pahalgam attack when it accepted intelligence failure,” Kharge asked during his visit to Ranchi.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the family members of Navy officer Lt Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

Congress' Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda was among the party leaders present when Gandhi reached Narwal's residence in Karnal.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that he does not expect "anything specific" from the UNSC meeting, as any resolution against Pakistan will be vetoed by China, a permanent member of the security council.

“These were what we call closed door consultations, I have been there many times. All we hear about these are unofficial background briefing by delegates inside the room, but the room itself is quite small. There are 15 members of the council, their own teams and the secretariat, there is no media, no audience,” Tharoor said.

Farmers living along the nearly 200-kilometre-long International Border in Jammu and Kashmir are hurrying to finish harvesting due to rising tension after the Pahalgam terror attack. In the three districts of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua, around 1.25 lakh hectares of farmland are within range of shelling from Pakistan. Villages such as Treva, Mahashe-de-Kothe, Chandu Chak, Gharana, Bulla Chak, and Korotana Kalan are full of activity, as families work day and night to complete the harvest, dry the grain, and pack it for delivery to mills. While more than 90 percent of the wheat and other crops have already been harvested, work is still going on to finish harvesting the rest, pack them, and send them to the mills.

Pakistan recorded a significant decrease in the water flow of the Chenab River after India closed the gates of the Baglihar and Salal dams.

According to Dawn News, water flow recorded at the Marala Headworks dropped from around 35,000 cusecs on Sunday to about 3,100 cusecs by Monday morning.

“They (India) have almost blocked the Chenab River's flow downstream to Pakistan after making the decision on Sunday,” a senior official from Punjab’s Irrigation Department confirmed to Dawn on Monday.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said, "Mock drills keep happening in the country where a war-like situation arises. We have the experience of 1971 and the Kargil war...if the govt wants to conduct a mock drill, then fine. In 1971, there was no means of communication, but today you can tell people what to do and what not to."

Pahalgam attack news live updates: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will meet Pahalgam attack victim Lt. Vinay Narwal's family in Haryana today.

The Haryana government had announced a compensation of ₹50 lakh and a government job to the family member of Vinay Narwal.

His wife, Himanshi Narwal, was subject to intense harassment after underlined the importance of not directing anger towards any community. “We don't want people going against Muslims or Kashmiris. We want peace and only peace. Of course, we want justice,” she said. ​. Read more here

During the UNSC meeting, envoys condemned the attack and recognised the need to fix accountability. Some members reportedly raised the targeting of tourists on the basis of their religious faith.

Others also expressed concerns about Pakistan's missile tests and nuclear rhetoric and called them “escalatory” factors.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: UN Security Council members raised tough questions for Pakistan during “closed consultation” over the terror attack in Pahalgam, sources told ANI.

They also refused to accept Pakistan's “false flag” narrative and asked whether the terror group, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was involved in the April 22 attack that killed 26 innocent civilians.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: Haj Association of India chairman A Aboobucker said that unity among Indians has also scared those countries that wish to harm India in any manner.

“The Government of India and the Prime Minister have taken the issue very personally, which is good. It has been appreciated by other countries throughout the globe...Immediately after this, the entire Muslim community here in India they are one and together with Hindu... The unity here has scared the other countries that are against India. A strong message that has been sent so that no superpowers will try to handle anything misbehaviously,” he told ANI.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: UNSC “closed consultations” on India-Pakistan tensions lasted for around 90 minutes on Monday afternoon. The council didn't release a statement after the meeting. Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the objectives of the closed consultations included enabling the members to hold a discussion on the deteriorating security environment and rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Read more here

Pahalgam attack news live updates: Congress leader Supriya Shrinate credited the foreign policy of former Prime Ministers Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi for Russia's support to India's fight against terrorism after the Pahalgam attack.

“Today Russia stands with India, and this is the result of the foreign policy that has been followed by every government and whose foundation was laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Today India has good relations with Russia, and this is the contribution of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi,” she said.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan called a meeting regarding Civil Defence around 10.45 am on Tuesday. Chief Secretaries and heads of civil defence from across the country are expected to participate in the meeting via video conferencing.

Preparations for civil defence drills are being made in 244 districts of the country following an order from the union home ministry on Monday.

Pahalgam attack news live updates: Amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, the United Nations Security Council has held closed-door consultations where envoys called for restraint and dialogue.

The consultations, held by the 15-nation Security Council, lasted about an hour and a half on Monday afternoon but no statement was issued from the Council after the meeting.