Geneva [Switzerland], April 30 (ANI): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately and strongly condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 25 Indians and a Nepalese citizen.

According to the United Nations statement, the Secretary-General, in his phone calls, noted the importance of pursuing justice and accountability for the attack through lawful means.

He also expressed his deep concern at rising tensions between India and Pakistan and underscored the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences, and offered his Good Offices to support de-escalation efforts, the statement said.

This comes after the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, where Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, and injured many others on April 22.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting, which was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan, and the three service chiefs.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was also present at the meeting. The meeting took place days after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on April 23, following the terror attack.

Government sources said the Prime Minister affirmed that it is India's national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism. The sources said PM Modi expressed complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the Indian Armed Forces. They said that PM Modi stated that the Indian Armed Forces have complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of India's response.

Following the attack, India has taken strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism. In the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 23, India decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism and closes the integrated Attari Check Post.

India has also declared the officials of the Pakistani High Commission as Persona Non Grata and ordered them to leave India within a week. India has also decided to cancel any visas provided under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and ordered Pakistan to leave the country within 48 hours. (ANI)