‘Pants pulled down, ID cards checked’: Hindu tourists targeted in Pahalgam days after Pakistan COAS Asim Munir’s anti-Hindu rant; several casualties reported
In a chilling episode, terrorists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, targeted tourists after identifying them as non-Muslims. The attack came days after a video of Pakistan COAS Asim Munir ranting against Hindus had gone viral on the internet.
A heart-wrenching video of the incident surfaced online, showing tourists frantically calling out for help as dead bodies lying along the meadows can be seen in the video. Eyewitnesses to the attack could be heard saying that the attack was religiously motivated as terrorists shot tourists point blank after identifying them as Hindus.
One of the haunting pictures of the attack that has gone viral on social media is of a grief-stricken woman helplessly sitting beside his dead husband. According to reports, the woman was recently married and was on her honeymoon in Kashmir when the terrorists attacked and killed her husband.
According to unofficial sources who are privy to the attack, the number of casualties could exceed 25.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, directing him to take all necessary actions and personally assess the situation on the ground.
Responding to the directive, Amit Shah announced he will soon depart for Srinagar to lead an emergency security review meeting with all concerned agencies. Shah confirmed that he had already briefed the Prime Minister and conducted a video conference with top security officials. Strongly condemning the attack, Shah vowed that the culprits will face severe consequences, assuring that no one involved will be spared. Security operations in the area have been significantly stepped up.
It is worth noting that the attack against Hindu tourists came days after Pakistan COAS Asim Munir’s video, making bigoted comments as he urged Pakistanis to tell their children about the stark difference between “Hindus and Muslims”, had gone viral on the internet.
Pakistan COAS Asim Munir’s anti-Hindu rants
In a fiery speech that has set off alarm bells across human rights circles, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, declared that anyone not abiding by Sharia law cannot be considered a true Pakistani. Speaking at a national clerics’ conference in Islamabad, Munir didn’t mince words, tying Pakistan’s national identity directly and exclusively to Islamic principles. His message was clear: reject Sharia, and you reject Pakistan itself.
This hardline stance has sparked intense backlash, especially for its implications on Pakistan’s already marginalised non-Muslim minorities — including Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs. Critics are questioning: if adherence to Sharia is a precondition for citizenship, where does that leave millions who do not share the faith?
As if that weren’t enough, Munir doubled down by reviving the controversial Two-Nation Theory — the ideological backbone of Partition — claiming Pakistan and India remain fundamentally incompatible in religion, culture, and ideology. His remarks, steeped in divisive rhetoric, are being seen as a deliberate attempt to stir communal sentiments and reassert a theocratic vision of Pakistan at a time when calls for inclusivity and reform are growing louder.
With this speech, General Munir has not only drawn a line in the sand domestically — he’s sent a message to the world: Pakistan’s power elite still sees the country not as a diverse nation, but as a fortress of faith. And that, in today’s world, is a message many find deeply troubling.
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