Pakistan Exposed, Terror Proven

The National Investigation Agency deserves appreciation for completing, in record time, a painstaking investigation into the brutal Pahalgam terror attack of April 22. The filing of a comprehensive 1,597-page chargesheet within eight months reflects both institutional capacity and a sense of urgency demanded by a crime that shocked the nation. While it is ultimately for the judiciary to examine the merits of the evidence and deliver a verdict, the investigation itself marks a significant moment in India’s long battle against cross-border terrorism. Terrorists, by design, leave little behind. In this case too, there was no dramatic trail of documents or electronic proof that could, beyond all doubt, establish Pakistani nationality at the scene of the crime.

Yet, terrorism is often proved not merely by forensic crumbs but by patterns, planning, and purpose. The ruthless, emotionless killing of innocent tourists—26 people targeted in a religion-based massacre—was itself powerful evidence of a crime conceived and executed by trained terrorists. Such cold-blooded precision does not emerge spontaneously; it bears the unmistakable imprint of planning from across the border. The NIA chargesheet lays out that larger conspiracy. Pakistani handler Sajid Jatt has been named along with the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba and its proxy, The Resistance Front, as legal entities that planned, facilitated, and executed the attack. The inclusion of these organisations, long known for their Pakistan-based operations, exposes the hollowness of Islamabad’s routine denials. Statements made by senior figures in the Pakistani military establishment in the past only deepen suspicions that the attack was neither accidental nor isolated.

One of the most important findings of the investigation is the formal identification of the three Pakistani terrorists killed by Indian security forces during Operation Mahadev in July 2025 as the actual perpetrators of the Pahalgam killings. Until now, this had been the subject of speculation. The chargesheet puts that uncertainty to rest. Equally significant is the naming of two locals accused of harbouring the terrorists. Their inclusion sends a clear warning that collaboration with foreign terrorists on any pretext will invite the full force of the law. National security cannot be compromised by misplaced loyalties or fear.

Pakistan has consistently claimed it has no role in terror attacks on Indian soil. The forthcoming trial promises to be a body blow to that narrative. As in several major terror attacks worldwide, where investigative trails have eventually led back to Pakistan-based handlers, this case too reinforces a grim global pattern. Reports linking recent attacks abroad to Pakistani nationals only underline the point. India’s military response, including Operation Sindoor, has already degraded terrorist assets and inflicted damage on hostile infrastructure. But accountability through law is equally vital. This trial has the potential to present clinching evidence of Pakistan’s complicity before the world, replacing denial with documented truth.