Pahalgam attack: A terror attack by four militants in Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed at least 26 people and left several others injured comes days after Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir’s “jugular vein” remark. A News18 report, citing top Indian intelligence sources, said that the attack may be part of a larger and more planned effort, influenced by his remarks.
The sources, which the report cites, said that the Pakistan Army Chief’s comments might have given a push to the militants as his “remarks before the attack were not a casual statement”. Pakistan has, however, refuted these claims. “We have absolutely nothing to do with it. We reject terrorism in all its forms and everywhere,” says Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on the Pahalgam attack.
“We’re different from Hindus”: Pak Army Chief
“We are different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different, our customs are different. Our traditions are different. Our thoughts are different. Our ambitions are different. That was the foundation of the two-nation theory… We are two nations, we are not one nation,” General Munir said on April 16.
He added, “That is why our forefathers struggled, mounted their incessant struggle, to create this country. Our forefathers have sacrificed immensely, and we have sacrificed a lot for the creation of this country, and we know how to defend it.
“My dear brothers, sisters, daughters and sons, please don’t forget this story of Pakistan. Don’t forget to narrate this story of Pakistan to your next generation so that their bond with Pakistan never weakens, whether it is the third, fourth or fifth generation… They know what Pakistan is for them,” he continued.
“Kashmir is our jugular vein”
Speaking about Kashmir, General Munir said, “Our stance is absolutely clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle.”
“Do you think terrorists can take away the destiny of the country? The 1.3 million-strong Indian Army, with all its wherewithal, if they cannot intimidate us, do you think these terrorists can subdue the armed forces of Pakistan?”
The Pakistan Army chief also said that the armed forces will crack down hard on the separatist movements in Balochistan, saying, “We will defeat these terrorists very soon. Pakistan will not fall.”
Intelligence agencies had sent out an alert a few days ago that a terror group was planning an attack on “non-locals”, and that there was a possibility of an IED attack. But the details were not clear, a source told The Indian Express.
Many top officials, the News18 report said, believe that the attack on tourists was carried out to bring global attention to the Kashmir issue as US Vice President JD Vance is on a four-day visit to India. The attack draws eerie parallels to the Chittisinghpura massacre 25 years ago, which occurred during then-US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a known offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the attack, media reports suggest.
“The attack comes at a time when there has been a relative lull in Jammu and Kashmir, facilitating a tourism boom. Any internationalisation of the Kashmir issue could ease the pressure on the Pakistani military,” HT quoted a Srinagar-based intelligence official on condition of anonymity.