Clarion call for action against Pakistan

The shocking massacre in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives — including visitors from the UAE and Nepal — is not merely another tragic incident; it marks a calculated escalation in Pakistan’s ongoing proxy war against India, explicitly incited by that nation’s military leadership.

Executed by four heavily armed terrorists, including three operatives identified as Pakistani nationals, the assault was meticulously orchestrated to maximise casualties and attract global attention. The attackers employed advanced weaponry such as M4 carbines and AK-47 rifles, chillingly segregating victims on the basis of religious identity. Disturbingly, they documented their brutality using helmet-mounted body cameras, emphasising their intent to amplify terror and spread propaganda globally.

This attack notably follows provocative statements by Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir. Addressing a gathering at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention last week, Gen Munir reiterated Pakistan’s claim over Kashmir, invoking Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s controversial two-nation theory. His inflammatory rhetoric, explicitly designed to fuel religious animosity and incite extremist elements, served as a dog whistle, directly contributing to the heinous violence witnessed in Pahalgam.

Pakistan’s swift denial, delivered by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, labelling the attack as merely “local resistance,” starkly contrasts with intelligence data meticulously gathered by Indian security agencies. The incontrovertible evidence identifies the attackers as members of The Resistance Front (TRF), a terrorist outfit established in 2019 by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). TRF was created to evade international scrutiny, particularly from bodies like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), by masquerading as a secular, indigenous resistance group in contrast to overt religious groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Such strategic rebranding is not unprecedented. Throughout my tenure commanding critical counter-terror operations in Kashmir, I have witnessed Pakistan’s consistent deployment of proxy organisations to escape international accountability. From the LeT’s involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks to Jaish-e-Mohammad’s devastating strike in Pulwama, Pakistan repeatedly leverages terror groups to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir, aiming to internationalise the conflict and distract from its domestic crises. The 2016 terror attack on the Pathankot airbase, for instance, revealed how these groups, prepared and trained by the ISI and the Pakistan Army, operated and conducted their operations. There is nothing grey about Pak-sponsored attacks — it is all dark black.

Operating under direct command from ISI handlers in Rawalpindi and Muzaffarabad, TRF’s operational structure demonstrates the sophistication and extensive resources of Pakistan’s intelligence apparatus. TRF militants undergo rigorous training in guerrilla warfare, evasion tactics and psychological operations. The use of helmet-mounted cameras during the Pahalgam massacre exposes ISI’s calculated strategy to magnify psychological terror and propagate their extremist narrative digitally.

However, the attack has severely undermined Pakistan’s false narrative of indigenous resistance. Kashmiris across religious and social lines unitedly condemned this savage act. Spontaneous protests, candlelight vigils and unequivocal denunciations from loudspeakers at mosques in Doda and neighbouring areas clearly indicate widespread rejection of Pakistan’s claims. This local outcry unequivocally demonstrates that genuine resistance movements neither involve foreign militants nor target innocent civilians.

Strategically, Pakistan continues supporting terror proxies like TRF to maintain pressure on India in Kashmir, internationalise the issue and divert attention from internal turmoil, including economic collapse and insurgencies in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Gen Munir’s incendiary remarks further bolster this dangerous strategy, exacerbating regional instability and deepening Pakistan’s international isolation.

The global community, increasingly alert to Islamabad’s deceit, must urgently confront the tangible threat posed by Pakistan’s unabated state-sponsored terrorism. India’s diplomatic strategy should be assertive and multifaceted. On the international stage, India must present comprehensive evidence at forums like the FATF and the UN Security Council, directly implicating Pakistan’s ISI and military leadership, notably Gen Munir, in orchestrating and financing terror operations, thereby pushing for stringent sanctions and renewed FATF oversight.

Moreover, strengthening intelligence-sharing partnerships with strategic allies, including the US, UAE, Israel and the European Union, is imperative. Implementing technologically advanced surveillance systems, AI-driven monitoring, drone interception and fortified border security measures will significantly disrupt infiltration routes and weapon-smuggling networks.

Economically, India and its strategic partners should intensify efforts to isolate Pakistan. Rerouting regional commerce through alternative trade routes, such as Iran’s Chabahar port, reduces Pakistan’s geopolitical leverage. Concurrently, aggressive countermeasures against narcotics trafficking networks funding Pakistan’s terror infrastructure will severely constrain their operational capabilities.

Unchecked, Pakistan’s terror proxies threaten regional and global stability, risking broader conflicts and empowering extremist forces throughout South Asia, including Afghanistan. The Pahalgam tragedy serves as an urgent clarion call. Collective resolve and decisive international actions are critical to dismantling this cycle of terror. The stakes — for regional stability and global security — have never been higher. In sum, the response this time round has to be multi-domain and decisive to comprehensively discredit the Pakistan Army that runs the country by proxy under Gen Munir.

Lt Gen Dushyant Singh (retd) is Director General, Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

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