By Dipak Kurmi
The serene Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, Kashmir, turned into a haunting landscape of horror on a grim Tuesday, as 28 tourists, including honeymooners, families, and two foreign nationals from Nepal and the UAE, were gunned down in one of the most brutal terror attacks since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, the massacre has jolted the Indian consciousness and rattled the world, signaling not only a regional security breakdown but a global threat that cannot be ignored.
The attack’s chilling precision, despite existing security measures like checkpoints and patrols, exposes grave lapses in intelligence and preparedness. Terrorists dressed in Army uniforms infiltrated the area and executed the killings with military-like coordination. This tragic incident rekindles the memory of the 2000 Chittisinghpura massacre, when 36 Sikhs were slaughtered on the eve of US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India. Two and a half decades later, history has repeated itself with eerie synchronicity, this time during the diplomatic visit of US Vice President JD Vance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concurrent engagement in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan’s military establishment, particularly the ISI, has long been accused of orchestrating such attacks to internationalize the Kashmir issue. A recent speech by Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir, referencing Partition and religious identity, raises troubling signals of a deliberate strategy to ignite communal tension in India. The Pahalgam massacre, happening amid a successful democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir and increasing tourist inflow, seems aimed at sabotaging peace and economic stability in the region.
This calculated act of terror is not merely an affront to India’s internal security; it is a message to the world. The symbolism of targeting tourists—representatives of normalcy, peace, and progress—was a clear attempt to dismantle India’s success story in Kashmir post-370. The killers aimed to discredit the government’s narrative of peace and provoke a climate of fear.
In response, the Indian government swiftly acted with decisive measures. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced a string of actions following a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting: the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan has been held in abeyance; the Attari checkpost has been closed, and Pakistanis in India under special visas have been ordered to leave within 48 hours. All Pakistani military advisors in New Delhi have been declared persona non grata, reciprocated by the withdrawal of Indian defense officials from Islamabad. The strength of diplomatic missions will be halved.
These measures are not mere diplomatic posturing; they signal India’s strategic recalibration. For decades, India has borne the brunt of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, with over 45 years of cross-border infiltration, bombings, and militant uprisings claiming tens of thousands of lives. Yet, international condemnation has often been muted, especially in earlier decades when the U.S. and Europe occasionally backed Pakistani regimes under Cold War or counterbalance considerations.
However, the tide has turned. Today, India enjoys robust strategic partnerships with global powers, including the United States, European Union, Russia, and ASEAN nations. Most notably, Islamic nations such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iran have also pivoted towards deeper cooperation with India, isolating Pakistan diplomatically and economically. Even China, historically close to Islamabad, joined in condemning the Pahalgam attack—a marked shift.
Terrorism, as India has consistently asserted at global forums like the UN, G20, and G7, is not a regional issue but a transnational plague. The same extremists trained on Pakistani soil have carried out attacks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. If the world can impose crushing sanctions on Russia or Iran for breaches of international norms, why not Pakistan for being a consistent incubator of jihadist violence?
The economic cost of terrorism is immense. The recent boost in Kashmir’s tourism—a vital driver of local development and a symbol of emerging normalcy—has now been placed under threat. Yet this very progress is what terrorists seek to destroy. It is therefore essential to protect it. India must now focus on not just intelligence upgrades and technological surveillance, but also on civic integration. The antidote to extremism lies in inclusive development: job creation, education, and empowering local youth.
Pakistan’s leadership must also understand that nuclear brinkmanship is no longer a viable diplomatic tool. India is a responsible and capable nuclear power. But more importantly, New Delhi is prepared to confront the proxy war with strategic precision and resilience.
There is a historical irony here. During the 1980s and 1990s, global powers were often silent on Kashmir, buying into the narrative of human rights violations without acknowledging the thousands who died in terrorist attacks. It took the 9/11 attacks for the U.S. to recognize the true nature of terror networks. Now, with JD Vance’s presence in India and the echoes of Chittisinghpura returning through Pahalgam, the United States has a renewed opportunity—and responsibility—to support India unequivocally.
It is not only about counter-terrorism cooperation or defense agreements—of which India has signed nearly a hundred globally—but about a unified global stand against nations that shelter, fund, and glorify terrorism. As Prime Minister Modi often states, terrorism anywhere is a threat to humanity everywhere.
Pakistan must be held accountable. It is no longer sufficient to speak of peace while harboring terror leaders in cities like Lahore and Islamabad. Economic isolation, financial blacklisting, and severance of military aid are the only languages rogue states understand. Much like the coronavirus, terrorism mutates, travels, and destroys. A virus needs to be starved of its host.
As Kashmir mourns and the world watches, this moment must not slip into history as another forgotten atrocity. The Pahalgam massacre is a wake-up call—a brutal reminder that the war against terrorism requires unwavering international solidarity, not selective outrage. India has taken the first step. The world must now follow.
Kashmir cannot be allowed to bleed again. Not now. Not ever.
(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com)
