Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
The Resistance Front (TRF) has denied involvement in the deadly attack on April 22, which left 26 tourists dead in the popular Baisaran meadow in Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
In a post on X, TRF stated, “Any attribution of this act to TRF is false, hasty, and part of an orchestrated campaign to malign the Kashmiri resistance.”
“Shortly after the attack in Pahalgam, a brief and unauthorized message was posted from one of our digital platforms. After an internal audit, we believe it resulted from a coordinated cyber intrusion – a familiar tactic in the Indian state’s digital warfare arsenal.”
TRF is pointing to a cyber-hack that led to the group being blamed for the attack, which has prompted a massive crackdown in Kashmir, including arrests, and razing of family homes, and India has revoked Pakistani visas and ordered Pakistani nationals to leave Indian territory before April 27.
Malik Ayub Sumbal, a geopolitical analyst and broadcaster, said: “Indeed, it’s a severe security lapse by the Indian security forces. The accusation against anyone else is the second thing, but first, India should find the security lapse, and the concerned politicians must resign.”
“India and Pakistan are both nuclear states, so the nuclear deterrence on both sides may not ignite a full-fledged war. India has already made some announcements, and that’s the maximum they can do. However, India cannot withdraw from the Indus Water Treaty unilaterally,” Sumbal added.
“The Pulwama attack also hints at the India RSS-led agenda to politicize the elections in some states with anti-Muslim rhetoric, and the current tone of the Indian government is major proof of this,” said Sumbal.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on April 26, that he was ready for a “neutral” investigation into the attack. India blames Pakistan for supporting “cross-border terrorism”, but Islamabad denies involvement.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia, returning to India and vowing to hunt down all those responsible for the attack.
The Indian government has taken punitive measures, including downgrading diplomatic ties, expelling Pakistani diplomats, and suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, a critical water-sharing agreement between the two nations.
The recent attack occurred in a popular tourist spot in the Himalayan territory of Kashmir, often called “Paradise on Earth” due to its breathtaking scenery. The region is lush with green valleys, snow-capped mountains, beautiful lakes, and picturesque landscapes that evoke a sense of paradise.
Springtime in Kashmir beckons tourists and authorities say about 1,000 people were in the area when the militants opened fire. The victims were male Indians and one Nepalese.
Pakistan has previously denied India’s allegations that it helps Islamist separatists in Kashmir, saying it only provides moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination.
However, Pakistan has a long history of being supportive of Islamic terrorists, including those in neighboring Afghanistan, going back to the advent of Al Qaeda there.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab Gulf monarchies all had their past involvement in Radical Islam. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and others have radically changed their position and have banned the Muslim Brotherhood and all other terror groups.
Pakistan has condemned the attack and expressed sorrow for the loss of lives but has criticized India’s immediate attribution of blame without concrete evidence. Pakistani officials have labeled India’s actions, such as the suspension of the water treaty, as “illegal” and “cowardly,” warning of a tit-for-tat response.
This latest episode is a grim reminder of the unresolved issues that have plagued India-Pakistan relations since their partition in 1947. The Kashmir region remains a flashpoint, with both nations claiming it. Previous incidents, such as the Pulwama attack in 2019, have similarly escalated into diplomatic and military confrontations.
India and Pakistan had been occupied by Britain for 300 years and won their independence in August 1947.
Under a partition plan provided by the Indian Independence Act, Kashmir was free to accede to either India or Pakistan.
Hari Singh, the local ruler, initially wanted Kashmir to become independent, but in October 1947 chose to join India, and the land dispute began.
In July 1949, the UN established a ceasefire which both India and Pakistan signed, and the region became divided.
In 1965, a war broke out between the sides, and again in 1999, India battled with Pakistani-backed forces.
India and Pakistan had both declared themselves to be nuclear powers in the meantime.
Delhi and Islamabad both claim Kashmir in full, but control only parts of territories recognized internationally as “Indian-administered Kashmir” and “Pakistan-administered Kashmir”.
Article 370 of the Indian constitution preserved Indian-administered Kashmir with significant autonomy, including its own constitution, a separate flag, and independence over all matters except foreign affairs, defense, and communications.
But Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP revoked the privileged status as promised in his 2019 election campaign.
Telephone networks and the internet were cut off in the region in the days, public gatherings were banned, and thousands of troops were sent in, as tourists were warned to leave Kashmir under terror threats.
Religion plays a huge role in the conflict, as Jammu and Kashmir are more than 60% Muslim, making it the only state within India where Muslims are the majority.
Critics of the BJP said the move was designed to change the state’s demographic makeup by giving people from the rest of the country to right to acquire property and settle there permanently.
Feelings of disenfranchisement have been aggravated in Indian-administered Kashmir by high unemployment, and complaints of human rights abuses by security forces battling street protesters and fighting insurgents.
In 2018, more than 500 people were killed, including civilians, security forces, and militants, marking the highest death toll in a decade.
On February 14, 2019, more than 40 Indian soldiers were killed in a suicide attack, with India blaming Pakistani-based militant groups for the deadliest attack on Indian soldiers since the insurgency began three decades ago.
While both nations have expressed a desire for peace in the past, the current situation underscores the fragility of their relationship. International mediation and a renewed focus on dialogue could be potential pathways to de-escalation. However, the deeply entrenched mistrust and political pressures on both sides make this a challenging prospect.
As the world watches, the hope remains that cooler heads will prevail, steering the region away from the brink of further conflict. Analysts suggest a third-party broker, perhaps China, could urge negotiations to decrease tensions.
Steven Sahiounie is a two-time award-winning journalist.
