The report of the Monitoring Team of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee released last week, says, “On 22nd April, terrorists attacked a tourist spot in Pahalgam, J and K. Twenty-six civilians were killed.
The attack was claimed that same day by The Resistance Front (TRF), who in parallel published a photograph of the attack site. The claim was repeated the following day.” It adds that on 26 April, TRF retracted their statement.
The report also quoted Indian and Pakistan views when it mentioned, “One member state (India) said the attack could not have happened without LeT support, and that there was a relationship between the LeT and TRF. One member state (Pakistan) rejected these views and said LeT was defunct.” The report closed by mentioning, “the attack was carried out by TRF, which is synonymous with LeT.” The UN accepted the Indian viewpoint that the LeT and TRF are the same organisation. For the first time the TRF has emerged in a UN document.
Decisions taken by the Sanctions Committee are normally unanimously adopted by the UNSC. Pakistan, a current non-permanent member of the UNSC may find it difficult to prevent sanction of the TRF. On 17 July, the US designated the TRF as a ‘Foreign Terrorist Organization’ and ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist.’ Pakistan initially objected to the US decision aware that its claims of the LeT being defunct would have few takers. Subsequently, its foreign minister Ishaq Dar, mentioned, “We have no issue. And we welcome, if they have any evidence, that they are involved.”
In reality, Pakistan had no choice as it was already announced. In the same interview, speaking on the UNSC resolution on Pahalgam, Dar added, “We opposed the mention of TRF in the UNSC statement. I got calls from global capitals, but Pakistan will not accept. TRF was deleted, and Pakistan prevailed.” If Pakistan was not involved, then why was it so desperate to protect the TRF in the UNSC? India launched Operation Sindoor as a retaliation to Pakistan’s support for the Pahalgam attack. In the short 88-hour operation India forced Pakistan to seek a ceasefire based on heavy losses and abject failure of its strikes.
India’s victory was marred by Donald Trump claiming credit for ending the conflict. Pakistan kept denying its involvement in Pahalgam. It even offered an independent probe, which like the ongoing probe on the attack on Air Force station Pathankot of January 2016, would stretch on without an end. Pakistan’s defence minister, Khwaja Asif, went on to mention that Pahalgam was possibly a false flag operation conducted by Indian security agencies. He added, “We have absolutely nothing to do with it. We reject terrorism in all its forms and everywhere.” The recent killing of the three terrorists involved in Pahalgam in Operation Mahadev cleared all doubts.
The terrorists had been tracked since Pahalgam but were possibly asked to lie low by their Pakistani handlers, after India hit Pakistan with Operation Sindoor. Rawalpindi was aware that another terrorist incident could spell disaster as its destroyed assets had yet to be replaced or repaired. This time it would be unable to hide its losses. Tracking the terrorists was a tedious task. Over 1,000 individuals were interviewed and amongst them, two who provided shelter, post Pahalgam, were arrested. While the general area where they were hiding was known, it was not easy to track them as the area is heavily forested and benefits terrorists rather than security agencies. Ultimately, it was the opening of a Chinese communication device to establish contact with their handlers which gave their specific location away.
These devices have been banned in India and are known to be used only by terrorists. A subsequent swift operation led to their deaths. Their bodies were identified by those who had provided them shelter. Their identities were established as Suleman alias Faisal, Tahir Habib alias Afghani, and Jibran. Suleman was involved in both Pahalgam and the Gagangir terror attack near Sonamarg in October 2024. For the government, confirming that these were the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack and proving the direct involvement of Pakistan was essential.
The first part was done by ballistically authenticating that the weapons obtained from the slain terrorists were the same which were used in Pahalgam. Bullet shells from the Pahalgam site matched those test-fired from the weapons at the forensic laboratory in Chandigarh. Six separate scientists were involved in the assessment to ensure that there was no error. The Home Minister, Amit Shah stated in parliament, “There is no room for doubt. I am holding the ballistic report, six scientists have crosschecked it and confirmed to me over video call that the bullets fired at Pahalgam and the bullets fired from these guns are a 100 per cent match.” Once this was established, the next was to obtain irrefutable proof of Pakistan’s involvement. This emerged with the recovery of multiple equipment and products of Pakistani origin.
These included ultra-high frequency wireless sets employed to communicate with their handlers across the border and other expendable products, including medicines, manufactured in Pakistan. Two terrorists were also in possession of their Pakistan voter numbers which enabled agencies to confirm that one was from Lahore and the other from POK. Media reports mention that the family of Tahir Habib, one of the slain terrorists, held his funeral in absentia, at Khai Gala village in POK. The village objected to the presence of Rizwan Hanif, a local LeT commander, further confirming Pakistan’s and LeT’s involvement.
Shah stated, “two had Pakistani voter numbers, and even chocolates they carried were made in Pakistan.” The Pakistan foreign ministry, as expected, refused to accept Indian findings including the individuals being Pakistani nationals. Their statement mentioned, “The account given by the Indian Home Minister is replete with fabrications, leading to serious questions about its credibility.”
The report of the Monitoring Team of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee, the US designating TRF as a terrorist organization and irrefutable proof obtained from the slain terrorists are indicators of Pakistan’s involvement in Pahalgam and these terrorists being Pakistani nationals. Rawalpindi unwilling to accept them as its nationals is nothing new. In Kargil, they had refused to accept the remains of their soldiers who died fighting, which even today lie buried on Indian soil. These are just terrorists and expendable.