Mumbai: In the wake of the deadliest terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir in nearly two decades, Pakistan’s leadership and media launched into a familiar pattern of denial, deflection, and whataboutery.
As India mourned the massacre of 26 civilians, mostly tourists, at a Pahalgam meadow, Pakistani officials scrambled to distance Islamabad from the bloodbath. Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, speaking on a local news channel Live 92, declared, “We have absolutely nothing to do with it. We reject terrorism in all its forms.” He went on to blame India’s own internal turmoil and repression for the violence, casting armed militants as “people asking for their rights.”
Pakistan's Foreign Office Issues A Statement Of Concern
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a statement of “concern,” expressing sympathy over the loss of life. But the language was cold and calculated, carefully stripped of any condemnation for the perpetrators. “We extend our condolences... and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” said FO spokesperson Shafqat Khan, as though commenting on a natural disaster.
The Pakistani media, predictably, followed suit. State-aligned outlets portrayed the incident as a tragic but opaque event, avoiding any scrutiny of terrorist involvement or cross-border complicity. Instead, headlines were filled with rebuttals to what they termed India’s “baseless accusations.”
Former Ministers & Public Figures Add Their Voices To Islamabad's Defensive Chorus
Former ministers and public figures added their voices to Islamabad’s defensive chorus. Senator Sherry Rehman condemned what she called “reflexive finger-pointing” by India and accused New Delhi of using the tragedy to distract from “spectacular failures amidst a fundamentalist meltdown.” She warned against what she described as “stridency-on-steroids” foreign policy.
Ex-minister Khawaja Saad Rafique dismissed Indian media reports as “absurd and baseless,” accusing them of irresponsibility and hysteria. In Delhi, officials were unmoved. Intelligence inputs have suggested the presence of foreign fighters among the attackers, raising suspicions of external involvement. With Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir calling Kashmir Islamabad’s “jugular vein” a week ago, Indian analysts argue Pakistan’s denials ring increasingly hollow.
