Written By Had ia Irfan On 22 April 2025, twenty-six tourists died in Pahalgam attack in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kahmir (IOJK). Soon after...
Written By Hadia Irfan
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On 22 April 2025, twenty-six tourists died in Pahalgam attack in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kahmir (IOJK). Soon after the incident, Indian government and media pointed their fingers towards Pakistan and claimed that Pakistan has supported The Resistance Force, a Kashmir based armed group, in conducting this targeted killing. Pakistani government has denied any involvement, has rejected Indian claims and has declared it as a false flag operation. Both sides have decided to go for diplomatic and economic crackdown in this regard, leading to increased tensions in the region. The Resistance Force (TRF) initially claimed responsibility but later on they denied any involvement by stating “shortly after the attack, a brief and unauthorised message was posted from one of our digital platforms. An internal audit suggests it was the result of a coordinated cyber intrusion - a familiar tactic of Indian state-sponsored digital warfare," issued on 25 April 2025 under reference number TRF-89-7A-03-43.
In this article, through the lens
of rationality, I will try to study both claims in an attempt to reach a more
solid conclusion.
Let’s look into Indian claim
first. According to India, Pakistan has been involved in cross border terrorism
and this attack is yet another example. India has claimed that the terrorists
opened fire on Hindu tourists, resulting in their deaths. It is claimed that
Pakistan supported this act at a time when U.S vice president JD Vance was on
four-day visit to India in order to internationalize the Kashmir issue and to
highlight the geostrategic importance of Pakistan in South Asia especially at
the time when US is interested in having a mineral deal with Pakistan. India
finds Pahalgam attack similar to Chittisinghpura massacre (2000) and Kauchak
attack (2002) when foreign leaders were on visit to India. This claim is backed
by saying that Pakistan supported this attack in order to overshadow Indian
diplomatic achievements and to tarnish Indian image by portraying Kashmir as unstable
in order to make ways for international involvement in Kashmir that aligns with
Pakistan’s interests on the issue.
Moreover, Pakistan’s internal
problems can be viewed as a potential reason. Increased ethnic and provincial
tensions, economic instability, ideological polarization can be the drivers for
this alleged Pakistan’s involvement. Furthermore, the distorted civil-military
relations fit into the image as well. In order to bring the masses close to their
forces again and to cover the distance that is being created in civil-military
relations, this might help in bringing the public and military to the same
page. Besides, India sees the recent statements of Pakistan’s COAS General Asim
Munir as a catalyst for this attack as well and to unite people. This point
holds weight. Indeed, this incident has brought Pakistanis on the same page
against India despite their heightened political polarization but there’s other
side of the coin as well.
Pakistan denies these allegations
and calls it a “false flag operation”. Again, Pakistan connects Pahalgam attack
with Chittisinghpura massacre (2000) and Kauchak attack (2002) but from a
different perspective. Pakistan claims that India has conducted these false
flag operations in order to divert attention from the domestic issues of
instability, religious polarization, violence, inhumane treatment of Muslims of
India; especially when foreign officials are on visit to India so that they can
stick the blame on Pakistan in order to tarnish Pakistan’s image and gain
sympathy. Moreover, Pakistan supports its stance by bringing Pahalgam FIR into
light. In FIR, terminologies as “at the behest of foreign handlers” and
“unknown cross border terrorists” have been used without any evidence. Pakistan
is also supporting its claim by raising questions about the security measures
of India in a region of immense importance for tourism. Pakistan is also
pinpointing the difference in the statements of Indian government along with
mainstream media and Indian tourists who were in Pahalgam. Former declare it as
a discriminate attack against Hindus, the later call it indiscriminate attack
and are questioning Indian media on the narrative they are presenting.
A third perspective needs to be studied
in this regard as India is still holding onto the alleged involvement of “The
Resistance Force backed by Pakistan” in Pahalgam incident. Although TRF has
denied their involvement, but what made their account to be the target of cyber
intrusion so as they could be presented as the “potential aggressors”?
Actually, TRF is Kashmir based rebel group founded in October 2019 following
the abrogation of Article 370, on 5 August 2019, that resulted in revocation of
special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Under this special status, Jammu and
Kashmir had a semi-autonomous state under Indian control and had the right to
form own legislature and laws. Most notably, under Article 370, state laws
restricted the rights of land ownership and permanent residency by the local
Kashmiris. Thus, the abrogation of this article resulted in protests and led
the foundation of TRF that represents itself as “indigenous Kashmiri” Rebel
group rather than religious one. In past, this group has been involved and
accepted the responsibility of minor attacks. Most famous are targeted
assassination of journalist Shujaat Bhukhari in 2018 who was on “traitor hit
list” and attack on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims. So, their history of
resistance against the abrogation of Article 370, followed by the rights
granted to the outsiders that threatened their existence and freedom, would
have cleared their intention of attack in order to bring the international
attention towards the issue in an attempt to make Indian leadership to review
their decisions. That might be the case if they accepted their involvement.
Despite all this, India has taken
a serious step by suspending Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. Pakistan being
depended on western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) for its survival sees
this as “an act of water terrorism” and declares that “any act to stop or
divert the flow of water under IWT will be considered as an act of war”. Pakistan
has responded the IWT suspension with Shimla agreement of 1972 and thus
welcoming international involvement in Kashmir issue that was earlier agreed to
be resolved bilaterally without any foreign involvement. The Wagah border has
been closed, and both have cut diplomatic and economic ties.This whole
situation has led to increased regional tensions.
Moreover, following the incident
both states have alerted and increased their military presence on Line of
Control (LOC). There is a threat of conflict escalation following the news, by
Pakistan state media, of shot down of Indian spy drone at LOC. Both rival
nuclear powers are threatening each other to response hardly in case of any
potential aggressive actions taken against them. India has started online
propaganda campaigns by spreading false rumors of the mass resignation by
Pakistani soldiers due to low morale. India is also accusing Pakistan of
state-sponsored terrorism. In response, on 29 April 2025, DG ISPR Ahmed Sharif
Chaudhry addressed a press conference to present the proofs of Indian
state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan in response to Indian allegations of
Pakistan’s involvement in terrorist attacks in India.
Furthermore, India has further
increased its troops in IIOJK and has started four “Counter Terrorism
Operations” in Kashmir following a week after Pahalgam attack. In this
operation, Indian forces have demolished the homes of “suspects”. This practice
of “bulldozer justice” of demolishing homes on mere accusation of crime was
banned by Indian Supreme Court last November. Additionally, more than 1500
individuals have been detained for further investigation. Also, nearly 50 parks
and public places has been closed. Educational institutions are shut down and
exams are cancelled. This is not the end! According to the reports of The
Express Tribune, journalists are being assaulted by Indian forces and BJP
workers.
Another important point that must
not be neglected is “Waqf Amendment Act” that now grants power to an Indian
government official to decide, unaided by the evidence and unrestricted by due
process, whether a property is waqf (properties for charitable purposes) or
government-owned. Not only that but also this new amendment requires the
involvement of non-Muslims in the Waqf board, that deals purely with religious
matters of Muslims related to properties for charitable purposes. No other
religious trust has to face these demands. This is alarming. Now, there will be
no bulldozers, no court hearings, just notices! And this is how everything will
be “LEGAL”. It seems that India is following the footprints of Israel but
through the tools of “instrumentalization of law”. Indian government wants hold
its control on the land that is waqf but clocked in a legal façade. It seems
that this might be the start and after sometime, it will again use law as a
tool to gain control over land owned by Kashmiri Muslims. It seems that this
was a “false flag operation” to divert attention of the world and of Kashmiri
Muslims from the issue and the following ongoing counter-terrorism operations
are indeed pretence to use force in order to crush the expected opposition and
rebellion. This piece fits into picture and can now explain why despite an
estimate of 900,000 Indian soldiers in IOJK, Pahalgam incident happened, and
no support was provided.
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