IIOJK attack

Tuesday’s attack in the Pahalgam area in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed the lives of 26 people, threatens to add to the already volatile situation in the disputed region. Pahalgam is a popular summer destination located some 90 kilometres from Srinagar. According to reports, gunmen opened fire at tourists in an off-road meadow, making this one of the deadliest such incidents in the region in nearly two decades. Pakistan’s Foreign Office has expressed deep concern and sorrow over the loss of innocent lives, offered sympathy to the families of the deceased and condemned the attack unequivocally. This is the mature and responsible way to respond. Unfortunately, the reaction from Indian media and the political elite has been anything but that. In a disturbing repeat of past patterns, sections of the Indian media – often derided as ‘Godi Media’ for their uncritical support of the Modi government – have been quick to blame Pakistan for the incident without a shred of credible evidence. This knee-jerk blame game not only lacks integrity but dangerously fuels war hysteria in a region already brimming with tensions. The parallels with the aftermath of the 2019 Pulwama attack are hard to ignore. Then too, baseless accusations and military posturing led to a near-catastrophic confrontation between two nuclear-armed neighbours. It is critical to recall that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government that took the unilateral and provocative decision on August 5, 2019, to revoke Article 370 of the Indian constitution, effectively disenfranchising the people of IIOJK and violating both Indian commitments and international conventions.

Tuesday’s attack has been claimed by a little-known group, calling itself the ‘Resistance Front’ or ‘Kashmir Resistance’, citing as justification the influx of over 85,000 ‘outsiders’ into IIOJK – a move seen by many as an effort at demographic engineering. Whatever the group’s motivations, what remains clear is that the Kashmiri people have long harboured deep resentment against their forced occupation and systematic suppression. Ignoring this indigenous discontent while externalising every instance of violence as ‘cross-border terrorism’ is both dishonest and self-defeating. The Modi government’s penchant for hawkishness, especially when it comes to Pakistan, is a well-documented political tactic. After Pulwama, the decision to carry out airstrikes in Balakot – which turned out to be militarily insignificant – served more as an election campaign rallying cry than a genuine strategic move. With Modi’s BJP having suffered electoral setbacks and economic growth in decline, the temptation to divert public attention through another spectacle of nationalism cannot be ruled out.

Pakistan, for its part, has made extensive efforts to demonstrate its commitment to regional peace. It has taken concrete steps to counter terrorism within its borders. At the same time, Pakistan continues to be the target of Indian state-sponsored terrorism – from direct involvement in Balochistan to covert operations abroad, including high-profile assassinations in countries like Canada and Pakistan. The fact is that Pakistan has always sought peace, but not at the cost of its sovereignty or dignity. If India is considering any fresh misadventure, it should seriously rethink this. The international community must also play a more responsible role here. While global leaders, including the US Ppesident, have rightly condemned the Pahalgam attack, they must also urge India to desist from escalating tensions based on unsubstantiated allegations. Diplomacy and dialogue must replace demagoguery and propaganda. Two nuclear nations cannot afford to lurch into conflict due to media-fueled jingoism and political expediency. What the people of Occupied Kashmir truly need is justice, autonomy and the right to self-determination – not more violence, not more blame games, and certainly not another round of performative militarism.