How India's Operation Sindoor in Bahawalpur delivered the justice denied to Daniel Pearl in Pakistan
India's Operation Sindoor has delivered long-overdue justice not only for victims of the Pahalgam terror attack but also for slain American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl. The precision strikes, which reportedly killed nearly 100 terrorists including Abdul Rauf Azhar, a central figure in both the IC-814 hijacking and Pearl's 2002 murder, marked a decisive blow to Pakistan-based terror networks. This operation reflects India's uncompromising stance against terrorism and has gained unprecedented international support from the US, UK, France, Israel, and others.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Surgical precision strikes
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Justice, long delayed
Global support
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
In a powerful military response to the Pahalgam terror attack , India's Operation Sindoor has eliminated nearly 100 terrorists, including key Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander Abdul Rauf Azhar — a central figure in the 2002 murder of American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl. By doing so, India has not only responded to a fresh act of terror on its soil, but has also delivered long-overdue justice in a case that haunted global conscience for over two decades.Pearl, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal , was abducted in Karachi in January 2002 while investigating links between Pakistan's military and extremist groups. A month later, a video of his brutal beheading emerged. The mastermind behind his killing was Omar Saeed Sheikh — a terrorist whose release had been secured through the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, orchestrated by none other than Abdul Rauf Azhar.On 7 May, Indian forces executed airstrikes on nine key terror hideouts across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Among the locations was Bahawalpur's Markaz Subhan Allah — the nerve centre of JeM's operations and indoctrination. Intelligence reports suggest that Azhar was killed in the strike, along with 10 of Masood Azhar's family members, including his sister and brother-in-law. Masood Azhar later issued a statement confirming these deaths.The Indian government briefed opposition leaders, confirming: '#OperationSindoor: Precise strikes carried out on 9 terror hideouts, close to 100 terrorists killed, counting still underway.' Officials added, 'India does not wish to escalate, but won't back down if Pakistan acts.'Government sources clarified that India's actions were not targeted at any nation or community, but solely against those responsible for crimes against humanity. 'This action is not just in India's interest, it resonates with the broader global fight against terrorism ,' a senior official said.For many, the killing of Azhar represents a turning point. His role in the IC-814 hijacking had led directly to the release of Sheikh, who later abducted and murdered Pearl. It was a sequence of terror that began in Kandahar and ended in Karachi.Asra Nomani, Pearl's colleague and a fellow journalist, recalled the link between Bahawalpur and her friend's death. Writing on X, she said, 'My friend, WSJ reporter Danny Pearl, went to Bahawalpur in December 2001 with a notebook and a pen. Gen. Pervez Musharraf had just promised he was shutting down Pakistan's militant groups... Danny reported on the militant offices in Bahawalpur. He literally knocked on their doors.'She added: 'Danny was no cowboy. This was a calculated low-risk reporting trip because no journalist had been targeted for kidnapping in Pakistan... Danny sent me an email: 'I'm anxious to go to Afghanistan, but I'm not anxious to die.''American activist Amy Mek also reacted strongly to the news of Azhar's killing, 'Today, India delivered justice for the brutal murder of American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl by eliminating Abdul Rauf Azhar... He conspired to murder Daniel Pearl. Operation Sindoor struck at the heart of terror, hitting Jaish-e-Mohammed strongholds.'She concluded with: 'To India, we say THANK YOU... The West must learn from India's stance on Islamic terror. Islamic jihad has no place in a civilised world.'India's actions have received rare and widespread international backing. The United States has openly supported India's right to self-defence. Congressman Shri Thanedar said: 'Terrorism cannot be tolerated and it cannot go unpunished. India has the right to defend its people.'British Foreign Minister condemned the April 22 Pahalgam attack and urged Pakistan to act against terror. MPs Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel echoed support for India's right to strike back against 'vile terrorist infrastructure'.France also expressed solidarity. Its Foreign Office stated: 'France supports India in its fight against terrorist groups.' Similarly, Israel's Ambassador to India remarked: 'Terrorists should know there is no place to hide from their heinous crimes against the innocent.'Dutch MP Geert Wilders tweeted in support, writing 'Kashmir is 100% Indian' and used the hashtag #PakistanBehindPahalgam.Panama's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: 'The Republic of Panama stands with India in this tragic loss and in the ongoing fight against terrorism.'Operation Sindoor, named after the vermilion worn by Indian women as a symbol of life and commitment, was launched in the wake of the Pahalgam attack that left many families shattered. By targeting those behind decades of terror — not only in India but against the international community — the operation has gained symbolic weight far beyond its immediate military goals.As the Indian government made clear, the mission was not about retaliation but about resolution — about ensuring that no terrorist feels safe, and that justice is delivered, no matter how long it takes.In this case, after 23 long years, Daniel Pearl's story may have finally found its ending.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
17 minutes ago
- India Today
Setback for India: Jairam Ramesh after US general praises Pakistan's terror fight
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the Indian government on Wednesday over recent remarks by a top United States military official praising Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts. Taking to X, Ramesh wrote, 'Recently, the head of the US Central Command called Pakistan a 'great partner in the counter-terrorism campaign'. What will our Prime Minister and his ovation say to this? Is this not a diplomatic setback for India?'advertisementHis statement followed US Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla's testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, where the outgoing commander described Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner' in counter-terrorism comments came at a time when India had been actively campaigning to expose Pakistan's support for cross-border terrorism, particularly after the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April. During the hearing, General Kurilla urged Washington not to adopt a zero-sum approach in South Asia, stating that the US must maintain strategic relations with both India and Pakistan."We need to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India,' he said. 'We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has.'advertisementKurilla's remarks came even as India stepped up diplomatic efforts to hold Pakistan accountable for its alleged role in the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people on April 22. In response, India carried out precision air strikes on terror infrastructure across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May military escalation ended on May 10 after the Directors General of Military Operations from both countries reached an officials, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, had reiterated that India would not accept any equivalence between victims of terrorism and the perpetrators. New Delhi also expressed concern over multiple international responses that appeared to hyphenate India and Pakistan during the brief military Kurilla, who is expected to retire later this summer, also spoke about Pakistan's role in combatting the Islamic State's regional affiliate, ISIS-Khorasan, also known as IS-KP. He acknowledged efforts by the Pakistani military and army chief General Asim Munir in countering the terror Watch
Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘We had no option but to kill him', says Goldy Brar on Sidhu Moosewala murder
Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar justified the killing of Sidhu Moosewala by claiming that the Punjabi singer 'had to face the consequences of his actions.' In a BBC documentary, it was revealed that Lawrence Bishnoi and Moosewala's relationship dated back a long time, and the dreaded gangster used to call the singer from jail, telling him he liked his music. 'In his arrogance, he (Moosewala) made some mistakes that could not be forgiven,' Brar told the BBC. 'We had no option but to kill him. He had to face the consequences of his actions. It was either him or us. As simple as that,' he added. The BBC World Service released the documentary titled 'The Killing Call' on the killing of Moosewala, on YouTube in two parts Wednesday, which coincided with his birth anniversary. The documentary was released at 5 am Wednesday. The BBC was scheduled to screen the documentary in a cinema hall in Mumbai Wednesday evening. However, after the controversy, the BBC released it on YouTube. Moosewala's father, Balkaur Singh, had petitioned a court in Mansa to stop its release or screening. The Mansa court has listed the petition for a hearing Thursday. Meanwhile, three of his songs were also released on his official channel Wednesday. Balkaur also wrote to Maharashtra director general of police (DGP) to stop the screening. In the complaint filed with the Maharashtra DGP and Juhu Police Station in Mumbai, Balkaur said that the documentary was made without his permission, and it 'contained false content about his son's murder'. He added that the documentary could be an attempt to tarnish his son's legacy. He said that the documentary includes interviews with individuals named in the FIR related to his son's murder, which he believes could affect the ongoing case. Later in the evening, Balkaur told media persons that that release of the documentary is like derailing the ongoing investigation into the murder case. He said that two witnesses have already testified in the court and he would be the third witness to testify in the coming days.
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
FIR into brutal killing of stray dog in Sec 20, Pkl
Panchkula: A gut-wrenching murder of a stray dog shook the elite residential area of Sector 20 Panchkula on Sunday morning. Sheru, a community dog from the vegetable mandi, was found dead with grave injures and all four limbs tied in the early morning by resident Preeti Pahwa, who used to feed Sheru. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Preeti said, "Sheru was a very friendly, healthy and vaccinated dog. I found him with his feet tied with tight ropes, blood oozing from his mouth along with a blue-coloured liquid and called the police on the spot. The criminals tied his limbs so that he can't run to save his life, how low can human beings fall?" According to Preeti, this is the fourth dog in the same area that has been murdered similarly in the last one month. "We suspect all these dogs are being poisoned and if these criminals are not found, they will kill all other stray dogs too," she added. On Tuesday, Siddharth Arora, advocate in Punjab & Haryana high court, filed a legal representation with the deputy commissioner of police, Panchkula, seeking registration of an FIR in the case after the SHO Sector 20 Panchkula police station on Monday refused an FIR. Subsequently, on Wednesday, the police registered an FIR in the matter, Arora said. "We had submitted a written representation to the DCP u/s Section 173BNSS u/s 325 BNS & S 11(1)(L) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals act (1960) on behalf of the complainants, Preeti Pahwa and other residents, and this comes in the aftermath of blatant refusal of ASI Kuldip Singh and SHO Somvir Dhaka of Sector 20 Police Station to register FIR," he added. Preeti and other feeders, Mudita, Ruma and Savita had put up a fight for an autopsy of Sheru's body at Pet Animal Centre, a govt veterinary hospital in Sector 3, Panchkula. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "There was no vet at the hospital, being a Sunday. But after a lot of pressure, we managed to get the autopsy done on Sheru from the hospital," says Preeti. A postmortem report confirmed that the dog was poisoned before being brutally tied up and discarded in nearby bushes. She said, "If justice has to be served to these voiceless animals, stern action must be taken against those committing such a heartless crime, especially when the Indian law had made cruelty towards animals a cognizable offence." Saud Somvir Dhaka, SHO, Sector 20, said, "We are investigating the death of this dog and Kuldip Singh will lead the investigation."
