Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated further as Pakistani troops once again violated the ceasefire across the Line of Control (LoC). The Indian Army confirmed that it responded appropriately to the unprovoked firing, with no casualties reported on either side.

This marks the second consecutive night that Pakistani forces opened fire across the LoC, a development coming in the aftermath of the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead. The firing incident was reported from multiple posts along the LoC separating Indian and Pakistani forces in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh regions.

According to the Indian Army’s official statement, on the night of April 25–26, Pakistani Army posts initiated “unprovoked small arms firing” across the LoC. Indian troops, maintaining strict vigilance, responded effectively using similar weaponry. Despite the hostile action, no injuries or fatalities were recorded.

Military officials indicated that the Pakistani firing appeared to be an attempt to test the alertness of Indian forces, especially as the Indian government intensifies its stance against terror infrastructure across the border.

The latest ceasefire violation follows stringent measures announced by India after the brutal attack in Pahalgam. Five terrorists, associated with The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), were behind the massacre at Baisaran meadow, popularly known as “Mini Switzerland.”

In response, India suspended the Indus Water Treaty, sending a strong message by asserting that no water would flow into Pakistan. Water Resources Minister CR Patil reinforced this declaration, emphasizing India’s resolve.

Adding to the diplomatic fallout, both nations have withdrawn their diplomatic staff and halted visa services. Citizens have been instructed to return promptly, while the iconic Wagah Border ceremony has also been suspended indefinitely. Islamabad, in retaliation, has put all bilateral agreements, including the Simla Agreement, on hold.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a firm address, vowed that those responsible for the Pahalgam massacre would face an unimaginable punishment, reaffirming India’s commitment to counterterrorism.

On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened a high-level meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil and senior officials to chart the course ahead following India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan.

The meeting resolved to immediately halt water supply to Pakistan, focusing on both short-term and long-term strategies to enforce the suspension. Discussions centered on practical steps to implement the decision, ensuring India’s interests are safeguarded amid heightened tensions.

India had formally notified Pakistan of its intent to hold the treaty in abeyance, citing Pakistan’s repeated violations, particularly its role in cross-border terrorism. In a letter to her Pakistani counterpart, Syed Ali Murtaza, India’s Water Resources Secretary Debashree Mukherjee outlined the rationale. “The principle of honoring a treaty in good faith is fundamental. However, Pakistan’s sustained cross-border terrorism targeting Jammu and Kashmir has severely undermined India’s ability to exercise its rights under the treaty,” she wrote.

The letter referenced the brutal Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists, as a key trigger for the suspension, noting that the resulting security challenges have hindered India’s full utilization of treaty provisions.

The communication also pointed to evolving circumstances, including “significant demographic changes, the urgent need for clean energy development, and other factors,” necessitating a reassessment of the treaty’s terms. To formalize the decision, the Indian government issued an official notification, marking a historic shift in its approach to the decades-old agreement.

Signed in 1960 under World Bank mediation, the Indus Waters Treaty governs the sharing of the Indus river system, vital to both nations. The system includes the Indus and its tributaries: the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) and the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab), with the Kabul river, a right-bank tributary, lying outside Indian territory.

Following Independence, the partition divided the Indus Basin, positioning India as the upper riparian and Pakistan as the lower riparian state. The treaty’s suspension reflects India’s firm stance against Pakistan’s actions, signalling a new chapter in bilateral relations as the government prioritizes national security and resource sovereignty.

In a major breakthrough, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police arrested Sanjeev Mukhiya, the alleged mastermind behind the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2024 question paper leak, in Patna on the intervening night of April 24 and 25.

Mukhiya, who had been on the run for 11 months, was nabbed in an apartment in Danapur following a meticulously planned operation by the EOU’s Special Operations Group (SOG).

EOU Additional Director General Nayyar Hasnain Khan revealed that intelligence inputs pinpointed Mukhiya’s hideout. “The SOG gathered credible information that Mukhiya, a notorious criminal with a ₹3 lakh bounty and wanted in multiple paper leak cases, was in Danapur. After verification, we coordinated with the Patna Senior Superintendent of Police and the Danapur Police Station for a joint raid,” Khan told The Hindu. The operation culminated in Mukhiya’s arrest, a significant victory in the fight against exam malpractices.

Mukhiya, also known as Sanjeev Kumar, is implicated in several cases, including EOU Police Station Case Nos. 27/2024, 16/2023, and 06/2024, and has been previously charge-sheeted in cases from 2012 and 2013. His role in the NEET-UG paper leak, which occurred before the exam on May 5, 2024, prompted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to join the probe. “Mukhiya is currently being interrogated by the EOU. We will seek five days’ custody in court before handing him over to the CBI for further questioning,” Khan added. He also announced that the EOU would recommend rewards for the raiding team to the Bihar government.

The CBI, which took over the NEET-UG case, has arrested 45 individuals and filed five chargesheets, with the latest on November 22, 2024. An arrest warrant against Mukhiya was issued on January 27, 2025. Earlier, an EOU official disclosed that Mukhiya received the leaked NEET-UG question papers and answer sheets from an unidentified ‘professor’ via his mobile.

A resident of Nagarnausa village in Nalanda, Mukhiya has been involved in paper leaks for two decades. Previously a low-grade employee, he rose to become a Panchayat head, amassing significant wealth and influence. His son, Shiv Kumar, a doctor, is imprisoned in a separate paper leak case, and his wife, Mamta Devi, unsuccessfully contested the 2020 Assembly election from Harnaut on an LJP ticket. Mukhiya’s prior arrest in 2016 for leaking a Bihar Public Service Commission constable recruitment exam paper underscores his long-standing criminal network.