Pahalgam Terror Attack: Strategic Patience Must Now Be in the Past

There is an image that portrays a sense of loss and an immense tragedy.

- Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh, VSM (Retd)

Introduction A lady still wearing her wedding bangles sitting next to her slain husband, a young Naval Officer, in a pristine meadow surrounded by a dense forest. No words are required to explain the emotions.

On 22nd April, Pakistan attempted to shatter the peace in Kashmir, leaving 26 dead who were targeted based mainly on their religious identity. A brutal window of terror has been opened with the attendant heartrending loss of innocent lives. Undoubtedly, it is an attempt to create a communal divide. The attack at Baisaran meadow, a scenic spot in Pahalgam, is horrific and occurred at a time when the dividends of peace were being felt in the Valley and tourism was on the rise.

The timing of the attack is also significant and can't be ignored. It has taken place at a time when the Indo-US relations are getting closer and the Vice President of US was visiting India. Further, the Indo-Saudi relations are also at its peak with the Prime Minister visiting Riyadh on the day of incident. Pakistan, suffering from an economic crisis and increasing incidents in Baluchistan including the Jaffar train incident in March and Khyber-Pakhtunistan, feels the best way to divert the attention of its population is to attack India. Pakistan felt that the peace dividends in Kashmir were now visible.

For the Pakistan Army, India remains its obsession, which is evident from the remarks of General Asim Munir lately in which he talked of the two-nation theory. Addressing the Overseas Pakistani Convention in Islamabad, he said, "Our stance is absolutely clear; it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein; we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle."