After Pahalgam, the just response

The political and security establishments must work closely to pin responsibility on the perpetrators of the attack and punish them

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Nations across the world have condemned the attacks on tourists in Pahalgam, describing it as a dastardly terrorist strike on innocent civilians. Separatist leaders in the Kashmir Valley have echoed the global outcry, and the Union Territory observed a bandh to mourn the killings. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a leader of the Hurriyat Conference, strongly denounced the violence and said: "Such violence is unacceptable and against the ethos of Kashmir, which welcomes visitors with love and warmth."

Against this backdrop of across-the-board condemnation, official reactions from Islamabad stand apart for the refusal to call out a brazen act of terrorism in as many words. Instead, Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif claimed his country has no connection with the Pahalgam violence but sought to link the killings to a "revolution" by "home-grown" forces.