Pakistan’s Political, Military Leadership Approved Pahalgam Terror Plot: Officials

Pakistan’s political and military leadership approved the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, sources say. The plot was executed by Pakistani terrorists under ISI and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s direction.

New Delhi: The April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, was orchestrated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) under the direct orders of Pakistani political and military leadership, according to high-level security establishment sources, reported The Times of India (TOI).

Attack Planned and Executed by Pakistani Terrorists

Sources told TOI that the Pahalgam attack mirrored a 26/11-style ISI-LeT project, with instructions from ISI to deploy only foreign terrorists active in Jammu & Kashmir. Lashkar commander Sajid Jutt was tasked with the mission and instructed to minimise local involvement, operating strictly on a "need-to-know" basis. No Kashmiri terrorist was involved in planning or execution.

Former Pak Commando Led Attack 

The assault was led by Sulaiman, a suspected former Pakistani special forces commando, who trained at the LeT base in Muridke, Punjab, before infiltrating the region in 2022. Sulaiman reportedly stayed in the Tral forest area close to the Baisaran attack site for nearly a week prior to the incident, as confirmed by satellite phone analysis.

Security sources also linked Sulaiman to the April 2023 Poonch attack, in which five Indian Army personnel were killed. He remained inactive for the following two years before resurfacing in the recent Pahalgam operation. The identities of two other Pakistani terrorists who participated in the attack remain undisclosed.

No Proof of Local Terrorists’ Involvement Yet 

Although the J&K Police initially suspected local militants like Hashim Musa, Ali Bhai, and Adil Hussain Thoker, investigators have only confirmed Sulaiman’s role so far. There is no concrete evidence linking local operatives to the planning or execution of the attack.

Locals Provided Shelter and Food, Denied Knowledge 

Two locals from Pahalgam, Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, who were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) last month, are believed to have played minor roles, providing logistical support such as food and shelter in exchange for small payments. Both have denied any prior knowledge of the plan to target tourists in Baisaran.

According to sources, 68 foreign terrorists and only 3 local terrorists are currently active in Kashmir, highlighting a strategic shift in Pakistan’s proxy war, relying almost entirely on non-local militants for executing terror operations in the region.