'That was a bad one': US President Donald Trump reacts to Pahalgam terror attack

NEW DELHI: In his first public reaction to the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, US President Donald Trump described the incident as “a bad one” and acknowledged the long-standing tensions between India and Pakistan.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump reflected on the deep-rooted nature of the conflict in Kashmir and voiced hope that both nations would “figure it out.”

“I’m very close to India and very close to Pakistan,” Trump said. “They’ve had that fight for a thousand years in Kashmir… that was a bad one yesterday—over 30 people,” he added, referencing the April 22 terror strike in the Valley, that claimed the lives of 25 Indian tourists and one Nepali citizen.

When asked about his concerns over the escalating border tensions, Trump said that the India-Pakistan rivalry along the Line of Control has persisted for centuries. “Tensions on that border for 1,500 years… but I am sure they’ll get it figured out one way or the other,” he said, while reiterating his familiarity with both countries’ leadership.

Following the deadly attack in Pahalgam, India swiftly introduced a range of diplomatic measures: suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals, closing the Integrated Check Post at Attari, issuing a 40-hour return deadline for Pakistani visitors, and reducing diplomatic staff in both countries' high commissions.

India also halted its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty —a decades-old water-sharing agreement brokered by the World Bank in 1960 after nine years of negotiations. Recognised as one of the most durable international treaties, the Indus Waters Treaty allocates the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej) to India, while Pakistan receives rights over the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab). India is entitled to 20% of the Indus River System’s waters under the pact, with Pakistan receiving the remaining 80%.