The Pahalgam terror attack was planned by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. The terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) followed orders from Pakistan’s political and military leadership too. This is according to sources in the security establishment. The April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, was executed exclusively by Pakistani terrorists.
Drawing a comparison to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, sources called it a joint LeT-ISI project. The ISI reportedly instructed Pakistan-based LeT commander Sajid Jutt to deploy foreign terrorists already operating in Jammu and Kashmir. They avoided using local Kashmiri militants to keep the plan secret. Only minimal local support was allowed on a “need-to-know” basis.
Major Role of Foreign Terrorists
The attack was led by Sulaiman, who is a suspected former Pakistani special forces commando. He had trained at LeT’s Muridke centre in Pakistan’s Punjab before infiltrating into Jammu in 2022 with his M-4 weapon. Two other Pakistani terrorists were part of the team.
Satellite phone records have revealed Sulaiman’s location on April 15 in Tral forest. This indicates he stayed close to the attack site at Baisaran for nearly a week before striking.
Sulaiman was also involved in an attack on an Army truck in April 2023 in Poonch. Five soldiers lost their lives in the attack. Sulaiman then laid low for two years before executing the Pahalgam attack.
While the investigation has so far confirmed only Sulaiman’s role. J&K Police had earlier suspected the involvement of Pakistani terrorists Hashim Musa and Ali Bhai. The role of local Kashmiri terrorist Adil Hussain Thoker as a facilitator has not been confirmed. Further, the two locals arrested by the NIA in the case last month are identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote, Pahalgam, and Bashir Ahmad Jothar from Hill Park, Pahalgam. They are also said to have played a limited role. They provided food, shelter, and logistics to the terrorists in exchange for money and claimed they were unaware of any plans to hit tourists.
Pakistan has long been accused of backing terrorists and using it as a tool of state policy. There is a pattern of attacks as Pakistan aims to damage J&K’s image. They target its flourishing tourism economy. Alternatively, Pakistan diverts attention to conflict to cover up its own internal strife.
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