News Desk
NEW DELHI — Indian security sources have attributed a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a tranquil tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir, to Pakistan’s military establishment, specifically implicating Army Chief General Asim Munir. The assault, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists, on April 22, was a calculated move by Munir to shore up his domestic legitimacy amid Pakistan’s spiraling economic crisis and political turmoil, including the contentious detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to government assessments. “The Pahalgam attack is a clear manifestation of Munir’s playbook to rekindle militancy in Kashmir and stoke communal divisions in India,” local media quoted a senior Indian official, speaking anonymously. The official noted that the attackers, linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, The Resistance Front, deliberately targeted victims based on their religious identity to undermine India’s social cohesion.
India’s response is multifaceted, combining diplomatic assertiveness with preparations for military retaliation. The government is exploring a spectrum of options, building on the technological and strategic advancements made since the 2019 Pulwama attack, when a Jaish-e-Muhammad suicide bomber killed 44 Indian paramilitary personnel, prompting Indian airstrikes on a terrorist camp in Balakot, Pakistan.
Lieutenant General D.S. Hooda, who led the 2016 surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, highlighted India’s advanced options. “Precision strikes using attack drones from our side of the LoC are entirely feasible,”. Despite the LoC’s heavy fortifications, Hooda pointed out that the terrain provides “exploitable vulnerabilities.” He added, “Ground operations remain a possibility, allowing us to target terrorist infrastructure in diverse ways.”
The attack, one of the deadliest in Kashmir in recent years, targeted civilians in Pahalgam’s scenic Baisaran meadow, known as “mini Switzerland.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Bihar on April 24, vowed to “identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers” to the “ends of the earth.” Indian authorities have squarely blamed Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for orchestrating the attack, accusing it of fueling terrorism to destabilize Kashmir and fracture India’s pluralistic society.
India has unleashed a series of bold diplomatic measures, including suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, halting visa services for Pakistani nationals, and closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing. Pakistani diplomats have been expelled, marking a severe strain in bilateral relations.
The Pahalgam attack has strengthened India’s determination to confront Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism. Security forces have launched an extensive manhunt across Kashmir’s forests and valleys, with three suspects — local resident Adil Ahmed Thoker and two Pakistani nationals — named as prime targets. The National Investigation Agency has assumed control of the investigation, underscoring the attack’s broader implications for India’s security. Along the border, Indian forces are on high alert, conducting coordinated operations with intelligence agencies to thwart further threats.
Global leaders have rallied behind India, except Canada all the other nations condemning the terror attack.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard labeled it a “horrific terrorist attack” and pledged support for India’s pursuit of justice. In contrast, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif sidestepped responsibility, demanding an international probe while accusing India of exploiting the attack to justify suspending the Indus Waters Treaty.
Indian leaders have framed their response as a defense of national sovereignty. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, responding to provocative remarks by Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, declared, “The Indus waters belong to India — they are ours, now and forever.” Modi, in his “Mann Ki Baat” broadcast, condemned the attack as a cowardly attempt to hinder Kashmir’s progress, reaffirming India’s commitment to peace and development in the region.
