News Desk
NEW DELHI — Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Advisor and architect of audacious counterterrorism operations, is crafting an unpredictable response to a horrific terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where gunmen linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) massacred 25 tourists and one local on April 22. Known for his maxim, “I have never done anything twice,” Doval’s strategy promises to make Pakistan pay for orchestrating the deadliest civilian assault in the region in over two decades.
The attack in the serene Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, a tourist haven in Indian-administered Kashmir, saw gunmen segregate victims by religion before executing them at point-blank range, shattering the region’s fragile peace. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in English at a Bihar rally to reach a global audience, vowed to hunt down the culprits. “India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers to the ends of the Earth,” he declared, promising a punishment “bigger than they can imagine.” The remarks underscore India’s evolving doctrine of decisive action against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, which officials say the ISI fuels to destabilize Kashmir’s diverse communities.
Indian investigators attribute the attack, initially claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to five terrorists: three Pakistani nationals—Ali Bhai alias Talha, Asif Fauji, and Hashim Musa alias Suleiman—and two local recruits, Adil Hussain Thoker and Ahsan Ul Haq Sheikh. The National Investigation Agency alleges the ISI trained and armed them, a claim TRF’s later disavowal fails to discredit, per Indian intelligence.
India’s response has been swift and resolute. Security forces have demolished suspects’ homes in Pulwama, Shopian, Kupwara, and Kulgam, detained hundreds of overground workers, and bolstered operations along the Line of Control (LoC).
Diplomatically, New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, revoked visa exemptions for Pakistani nationals, and closed the Attari-Wagah border. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar framed these steps as a riposte to Pakistan’s “sustained cross-border terrorism.”
Pakistan’s denials ring hollow. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer of a “neutral” investigation was dismissed by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who accused Islamabad of first denying the attack and then blaming India. “The ISI’s deep state has long sown violence to fracture Kashmir’s pluralism,” a senior Indian official said anonymously. A 2024 parliamentary report details the ISI’s support for LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), offering safe havens and logistics.
Doval’s track record—2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir post-Uri and the 2019 Balakot airstrike targeting a JeM facility in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—showcases India’s readiness to strike beyond its borders. Analysts now speculate he may deploy naval assets in the Arabian Sea to disrupt Pakistan’s trade routes. “A naval presence could inflate insurance premiums and choke energy supplies,” a New Delhi defense strategist said, highlighting naval operations’ flexibility compared to LoC-constrained land or air actions.
Pakistan’s timing is ill-fated. Reeling from domestic unrest, a crackdown on former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s supporters, and border tensions with Afghanistan and Iran, its military likely staged the attack to deflect internal criticism. The gambit threatens the 2021 ceasefire agreement, which had held despite prior escalations. Recent LoC skirmishes on April 25-26 signal its collapse.
Globally, the United Nations Security Council condemned the attack, with Pakistan, a non-permanent member, grudgingly endorsing justice under pressure. As tensions mount, India’s blend of military precision, diplomatic resolve, and economic leverage sends a stark message: the ISI’s terror campaign will face severe repercussions. For the families of the 26 victims, including a Nepali citizen, and a nation in mourning, India’s vow of justice shines as a beacon in a region long scarred by violence.
