JK News Today
In its Annual Threat Assessment report, the US Intelligence Community noted that” India- Pakistan relations remain a risk for nuclear conflict given past conflicts where these two nuclear states squared off , creating the danger of escalation”. It went on to say that the “ terrorist attack last year near Pahalgam , in the Indian union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir demonstrated the dangers of terrorist attacks sparking conflict.”
On the face of this analysis looks a matter of fact assessment of the situation, but it is not. There are fundamental flaws in it. The report running into 34 pages overlooks the fact that terrorists and the state of Pakistan are inseparable . It has tried to give an impression that terrorists were working on their own, independent of the state of Pakistan it were the terrorists , as it emphasized that “ neither country seeks to return to open conflict , but that conditions exist for terrorist actors to continue to create catalysts for crises.”
First of all, the very contours and core of the terrorist attack of Pahalgam of April 22, 2025 , need to be understood . This indeed was a terror attack , carried out by terrorists. The three terrorists had come from Pakistan , though they did secure local support through allurement or coercion to execute their barbaric plan. Twenty six civilians , 25 of them tourists who had come for holidaying were massacred in front of their families in Baisaran ,a meadow near Pahalgam , a world famous tourist resort about 100 KMs south of the capital city of Srinagar.
Within hours after the atrocity , the world leaders came out with their statements condemning the terror incident and supporting India in its right to take the terrorists and their backers to task . So much so, the United Nations Security Council ( UNSC) in its April 25, 2025 resolution stated it quite explicitly reaffirmed that “ terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security , “ and the members of the security council “underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financers of the reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.”
The conflict was initiated by terrorists , but the real brain behind was Pakistani state that wanted to create communal clashes , invalidate the elections of 2024 , and above all cripple the economy of Kashmir .This was designed to reignite the flames of terrorism in Kashmir which had been doused by the Indian security forces with the help and active participation of the local population . This explains the outrage in the streets of Kashmir to condemn the terror attack and outcry for punishing the perpetrators and their bakers . The message was clear from Kashmiris , “ not in my name”.
What made it clear was that Pakistan was at the roots of the whole game plan . It desisted from condemning the terror attack, as some responsible quarters in Pakistan almost praised the terrorists as youth engaged in the struggle . That was atrocious , and spoke of the evil designs of Pakistan . It absolved terrorists of their crime against humanity. It justified their action .
At a moment when Pakistan had the opportunity to condemn the act and offer cooperation to India in identifying and punishing the perpetrators and those who backed them, it did not . It knew that the perpetrators were Pakistani terrorists and they were backed by the military establishment .
India launched Operation Sindoor to deliver the justice . It struck at 9 terror sites, infrastructure and camps from Pakistan to Pakistan occupied Kashmir , and within 22 minutes it had completed its job. As only the terrorist infrastructure was hit , it should have hailed it if it really wanted to get rid of terrorists on its soil . It started counter attack, making it more than clear that it was on the side of terrorists . Therefore, India was right in its assessment and declaration that there was no blurring line between terrorists and Pakistani state , in fact they were one .
The US international community has made a mistake . By separating the terrorists from the Pakistani state , it is absolving Pakistan of its patronage and participation in the anti-India terror attacks . Facts should have been written as they were not camouflaged in clichés and old theories that have been round in the western media and capitals for long .
Pakistan should have been called out , the US has not done that .
And when it states that , “ Pakistan continues to develop increasingly sophisticated missile technology that provides its military the means to develop missile systems with the capability to strike targets beyond South Asia , and if these trends continue , ICBMs that would threaten the U.S,” it I acknowledges that nuclear programmes of Pakistan are not peace , these are meant to strike and instil fear in other nations . This is sign and irrefutable evidence of Pakistan being a terror state.
