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The Wire
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
What Do the Ghosts of Pahalgam and Pulwama Mean for the Common Kashmiri?
For the best experience, open on your mobile browser or Download our App. Next Support independent journalism. Donate Now Security Tarushi Aswani 18 hours ago While all of India including Kashmir mourns the loss of 26 lives that were lost in Baisaran, Kashmiris are also mourning a lot more. LeT militant Zakir Ganaie's family stands on the rubble of their home in Kulgam's Mutalhama. Photo: Tarushi Aswani Support Free & Independent Journalism Good morning, we need your help! Since 2015, The Wire has fearlessly delivered independent journalism, holding truth to power. Despite lawsuits and intimidation tactics, we persist with your support. Contribute as little as ₹ 200 a month and become a champion of free press in India. Yes, I want to contribute Pahalgam/Pulwama (Jammu and Kashmir): Aisha Begum looks at the heap of debris that her decades-old home has turned into. Her residence in Kulgam was part of the blasting spree carried out by the security forces in south Kashmir to avenge one of the biggest terrorist attacks on tourists in Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. Begum's house – made from money her family saved over the years working as daily wagers – was blown up, apparently to avenge the killings in Pahalgam. But she and many others with destroyed homes – whose sons, brothers and fathers had cut ties with them to become terrorists – ask a common question: 'Was it our fault?' Along with Begum's humble home in Kulgam, the authorities planted explosives in eight other residential houses of the families of suspected Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) members. The explosives were later detonated, blowing up their homes, hopes and dreams. The blasts have also impacted the homes of neighbours who had no connection whatsoever with the alleged terrorists. The family recounts how they were asleep when the security forces arrived with their equipment at 12:30 am and began to blow up the sum of their lives. Those suspected of having committed the Pahalgam attack or of associating with the LeT have been identified as Ahsan Ul Haq Sheikh, Asif Ahmad Sheikh and Amir Nazir, from Pulwama. From Shopian, it is Shahid Ahmad Kutay and Adnan Shafi Dar, and Jameel Ahmed Shergojri of Bandipora district as well as Adil Thoker of Anantnag and Farooq Ahmad Tadwa from Kupwara. Trickling trauma Time stands still in Pahalgam. Its taxis, hotels, restaurants, gift shops and people are on pause. Nothing breathes any more. Horses run without riders and rivers rush past restless, with no children to skip stones. Pahalgam is in mourning, with its garrisoned gardens. Hilal Ahmed Ahanger, a 28-year-old entrepreneur in Pahalgam, is already a victim of Kashmir's distressing unemployment statistics. Ahanger, who pursued his masters in political science and bachelors in mathematics, had forgone the idea of pursuing a career related to his education when he calculated the dismal pay he would receive. Instead, he began his small-footed journey in the hotel business seven years ago. After the attack, several hotels have shut, but some are still open in the hope of catering to tourists. The huts that Ahanger runs are vacant now. 'This attack has shocked everyone. But now, I know we will be seen as the 'new Pulwama'. No one even knew where Pulwama was, and now it is known for a tragedy. Sadly, Pahalgam's image of a beautiful tourist spot can never be repaired now,' Ahanger told The Wire. Hilal Ahmed stands in an empty tea shop in Pahalgam. Photo: Tarushi Aswani Another restaurateur at the affected spot said he had requested his staff to go back to their respective districts to stay safe. 'Our Hindu staff was terrified after the attack, they wanted to leave and we readily facilitated it. Our staff of 18 has now shrunk to four,' he said. Locals feel that the gruesome episode has shaken their world forever. It has left them in a more vulnerable spot than ever, with their lives and livelihoods jeopardised. 'We are permanent sufferers' In Pulwama's Murran village, Sahiba Jan, a 14-year-old girl, is trying hard to make her way out of her neighbourhood which was recently wrecked with controlled explosives. Her feet have multiple scratches: the lanes she passes through are now paved with hundreds of rugged rocks, pieces of shattered plastic and splinters of wood. Homes with no ties to any alleged militant or terrorist were not spared the blast. Children like her were left to dig through the rubble, searching for their books and belongings amid the wreckage of ordinary life. Ever since Pulwama made headlines for the 2019 attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel, locals say life has never been the same. While they acknowledge that some of the region's young men joined the militancy, they describe an overwhelming sense of being watched—one that has only intensified since 2019. Also read: Caught Between Borders and Broken Promises, Pakistani Woman's Journey Through J&K's Militant Rehab Policy After the Pahalgam attack, Pulwama's locals felt a rise in their pulse. The 40 deaths that happened six years ago haunt their hearts and homes to date. After the Pahalgam attack, hundreds and thousands of men across Pulwama and the rest of Kashmir were taken away by the forces. Wali Mohammed, whose house was the target of the explosion in Murran, feels that things are never going to be the same now. 'How can those who stay be accountable for those who leave?' he asked. His grandson, Ahsan ul Haq Sheikh, has been accused of involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack. The blast in Pulwama's Murran targeted at alleged terrorist Ahsan Ul Haq Sheikh's home has impacted other homes nearby. Photo: Tarushi Aswani In Shopian, Pulwama's neighbour, former MLA Aijaz Ahmad Mir's faith in peace and stability is beginning to waver. A native of the volatile village of Zainapora, Mir has long believed in democracy as the path forward. But the demolition of homes belonging to those merely suspected of involvement in the Pahalgam attack, he feels, has cast a deeper pall over south Kashmir—heightening the sense of unease and foreboding that already hung in the air. 'Kashmir is a very tricky region to deal with. One miscalculated move and all the years of stability can go down the drain. And whatever happens, it is Kashmiris who bear the brunt. Our parents, children, our people are a permanent casualty of the seven-decade old conflict,' Mir told The Wire. Mourners in Modi-fied Kashmir Ever since the 2019 attack, the Narendra Modi government has twisted every arm, agency and institution in its hands to make Kashmir hum a narrative of peace and prosperity. This has only resulted in a pendulum effect of attacks moving from Kashmir to Jammu – and now back to Kashmir. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, 2024 saw 12 'major incidents' unfold in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to 50 deaths and 58 injured. Newer militant groups are rising in the region – rebel groups such as the People's Anti-Fascist Front, the Resistance Front and the Kashmir Tigers emerged after Modi's cancellation of Kashmir's special status in 2019. And it is the rise of such groups that is choking the narrative of Naya Kashmir. Outside the home of Adnan Shafi Dar, another LeT member among the suspects of the Pahalgam attack, there is debris and despair. His father still looks at the remains and ruins of what he once called home, where he raised his children, including Adnan, in Shopian's Wandina. The ruins of Dar's house carry a trampled piece of tape saying 'CRIME SCENE', but his father Shafi Dar, who is yet to come to terms with the blasting of their humble abode, questions this 'counter action' on April 27. Dar cannot comprehend this damage, not because it is personal, but because it has never happened in his district before. Shopian is known for people joining the militancy ever since it gained momentum. 'Our district, our village has seen many leave, and learnt about many being killed for being militants. But this has never happened to any of their houses,' Dar told The Wire. The fear here is palpable. Several young men have been detained as the security forces question about 1,500 Kashmiris on the attack. While all of India—including Kashmir—mourns the loss of 26 lives in Baisaran, Kashmiris are grieving much more. They mourn sons lost to violence, lives disrupted by detentions and imprisonments, and a future they now see as all too plausible: one marked by greater uncertainty, instability, and fear. Politics Meitei Group Writes to Amit Shah About 'Unconstitutional Blockade' of Path to Pilgrimage Site View More
Nikkei Asia
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
India-Pakistan tensions rise after Kashmir attack: 5 things to know
NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD -- Tensions are escalating between India and Pakistan following a deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam in the Kashmir region last week, heightening fears of a wider conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors. India blames Pakistan for the April 22 attack that killed 25 Indians and one Nepalese. Islamabad has denied any involvement. A little-known group called Kashmir Resistance, which some media reports suggest is linked to Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, initially claimed responsibility and then denied its role.
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First Post
26-04-2025
- Politics
- First Post
With Kashmir Valley erupting in protests, Lashkar offshoot RTF now retracts Pahalgam terror attack claim
The Resistance Front (RTF), a Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba offshoot, has retracted its claim of responsibility for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. read more Indian security force personnel stand guard at the site of the terror attacl on tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district. Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated since the April 22 massacre. Reuters The Resistance Front (RTF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, has retracted its involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack. The terror organisation had earlier claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 innocent people, mostly tourists. This comes amid massive anger, with widespread protests by Kashmiris erupting across the Valley. In 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs declared TRF a 'terrorist organisation' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for promoting terrorism, recruiting militants, and smuggling arms and drugs from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'In the Name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful. The Resistance Front (TRF) unequivocally denies any involvement in the Pahalgam incident. Any attribution of this act to TRF is false, hasty, and part of an orchestrated campaign to malign the Kashmiri resistance,' the terror organisation said in a statement. Not retreating from the claim amid massive outrage in India and abroad, the terror organisation said that shortly after the attack in Pahalgam, a brief and unauthorised message was posted from one of their digital platforms. 'After an internal audit, we have reason to believe it was the result of a coordinated cyber intrusion—a familiar tactic in the Indian state's digital warfare arsenal. We are conducting a full investigation to trace the breach, and early indicators suggest the fingerprints of Indian cyber-intelligence operatives. This is not the first time India has manufactured chaos for political gain.' Twenty-six innocent people, mostly tourists, were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on Tuesday, causing outrage in India and abroad. India later found links to Pakistan, with the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba offshoot, The Resistance Group, claiming responsibility. In response, India took strong actions against Pakistan, expelling military attachés, suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, and closing the Attari land border. Pakistan responded by closing its airspace to Indian airlines, halting trade with India, and rejecting the water treaty suspension, warning that blocking water flow would be considered an 'act of war.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
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First Post
26-04-2025
- Politics
- First Post
'He couldn't tell he wasn't Indian': Nepali medic killed in Pahalgam was from Buddha's Lumbini
Sudeep Neupane, a 27-year-old medic from Nepal's Lumbini province, was shot dead in the Pahalgam terror attack after he said he was Hindu, without getting the chance to explain that he was a Nepali citizen, not Indian. read more 'He couldn't tell he wasn't Indian': Nepali medic killed in Pahalgam was from Buddha's Lumbini. Image: X The body of 27-year-old Sudeep Neupane—the only foreign national killed in the Pahalgam terror attack—was cremated in his hometown of Kalikanagar in Butwal, Nepal. His body, wrapped in the Nepali national flag, reached home after crossing multiple Indian states and the international border. He was cremated at Triveni Ghat around noon, with hundreds of people, including local government officials, gathering to pay their last respects. According to his family, Sudeep was shot immediately after identifying himself as a Hindu, without the chance to clarify that he wasn't Indian. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Butwal, a city in Nepal's Lumbini province, lies just 25 km from the Indian border. By the time the ambulance arrived, a large crowd had already assembled to mourn his death. Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on Tuesday, sparking widespread outrage in India and abroad. India later uncovered cross-border links to the attack, with Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba's proxy, The Resistance Group, claiming responsibility. In response, New Delhi announced strong measures against Pakistan, including the expulsion of military attachés, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, and closure of the Attari land transit post. In retaliation, Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian airlines and suspended all trade with India, including through third countries. It also rejected India's suspension of the water treaty and warned that blocking water flow would be considered an 'act of war.' The terrorists had checked the identity cards of the tourists and made them recite an Islamic verse, the Kalma. Those who failed to do so—indicating they were not Muslims—were shot dead. Officers examining the bodies for the FIR found signs of religious profiling, including pulled-down lower garments, likely to check for circumcision. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
News18
24-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
After TRF Claims Pahalgam Attack, LeT's Saifullah Khalid Denies Role In New Video
Lashkar-e-Tayyaba deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri, also known as Saifullah Khalid, has denied any involvement in Tuesday's deadly Pahalgam attack that claimed at least 26 lives. In a video circulating, which is circulating online, Kasuri accuses the Indian media of 'wrongfully" blaming him and Pakistan for the assault.
