Cabinet To Convene On April 30 In First Session Since Pahalgam Attack

The Union Cabinet will convene on Wednesday for the first time after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead. The meeting, to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.

The Cabinet did not meet last week, with only the Cabinet Committee on Security assembling on April 23. That meeting condemned the Pahalgam terror strike.

Following the CCS deliberations, India announced a series of strong diplomatic and security measures, including downgrading ties with Pakistan. Among the steps taken were the expulsion of Pakistani military attachés, suspension of the decades-old Indus Water Treaty, and immediate closure of the Attari land-transit post—moves prompted by suspected cross-border links to the attack.

In the aftermath, the Jammu and Kashmir government has closed down at least 48 resorts and restricted access to over half of the Union Territory’s tourist spots, people in the know told NDTV. Popular destinations such as Doodhpatri in Budgam and Verinag in Anantnag have also been made out of bounds.

The closures come amid heightened security concerns and mounting uncertainty over Kashmir's tourism sector, a key contributor to the local economy. The attack has sparked a wave of cancellations, with tourists fleeing the region and many others scrapping upcoming travel plans.

India suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan on April 23—just a day after the Pahalgam killings. The decision was taken during the CCS meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri later said the treaty would be held in abeyance "with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism."

The fallout of the Pahalgam attack is expected to weigh heavily on the region's economy. "It will take a lot of work to rebuild the trust, which people need to have before going to Kashmir," Bank of Baroda's Chief Economist Madan Sabnavis told NDTV Profit.

The attack has already begun impacting footfall, with hundreds of tourists now exiting the Valley. Authorities are facilitating their return to home states.

(With inputs from PTI).