In view of the tension on the borders in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Congress party on Tuesday decided to defer its ongoing rallies in support of the restoration of J&K’s statehood and other demands.

JKPCC Chief Tariq Hameed Karra convened an urgent meeting of senior party leaders in Jammu to discuss the current situation, especially in the border areas of Jammu province, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam carnage and the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan in different areas of LoC.

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The meeting was also attended by AICC General Secretary and CLP leader GA Mir, besides Working President Raman Bhalla, Former MP Choudhary Lal Singh, Thakur Balwan Singh, Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, Former Ministers Yogesh Sawhney, Ved Mahajan, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, and Yash Pal Kundal.

The meeting decided to postpone all scheduled rallies of the party in the coming days, including the public rally in Jammu on 1 May, for now.

The senior leaders and DCCs have been asked to maintain close rapport with the party cadres at the grassroots levels and people in border areas and keep the leadership informed about the activities on the ground.

There is an atmosphere of unrest amongst people due to unprovoked firing by Pakistan in certain areas, and the party has asked people to remain united and strong against terrorism. The party said that it is solidly behind the nation and forces and sought a befitting response to terrorism and Pakistan for their nefarious designs.

The party appreciated people from all faiths and walks of life for their united and befitting reply to terrorism in the aftermath of the Pahalgam carnage, calling it an attack on humanity and a highly condemnable, shameful act designed by the perpetrators and their mentors across the border in a nefarious manner. However, people from all walks of life, religions, and regions in J&K and across the country have unitedly exposed and defeated these designs. The meeting affirmed that the Congress party stands solidly behind the nation at this juncture to give a befitting reply to terrorism and Pakistan.

They appreciated the stance of the party leadership and the immediate visit of LoP Rahul Gandhi to Kashmir to share the grief of the victims and express sympathies with them and the injured. The meeting also appreciated the role of tourists, guides, and locals, including the visiting tourists, in the given situation, especially the courage and bravery shown by Sayed Adil Shah and a few others, and the hospitality of others, as narrated by the tourists.

The meeting also strongly condemned Pakistan for resorting to unprovoked ceasefire violations, cross-border terrorism, and infiltrations into Indian soil, describing them as totally intolerable. It asked people to remain vigilant and cooperate with the administration and security forces.