Pakistan Expresses Concern Over Pahalgam Attack

Pakistan communicated its apprehension on Monday regarding the casualties resulting from an assault in the Pahalgam region of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which resulted in the demise of 26 individuals.

Responding to inquiries from the media, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan stated that Pakistan was deeply saddened by the occurrence and conveyed sympathy to the relatives of those who died.

“We are troubled by the loss of lives of tourists in an attack within the Anantnag district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” the spokesperson mentioned.

“We offer our condolences to the families of the deceased and extend our wishes for a swift recovery to those injured.”

A minimum of 26 individuals, encompassing an Indian Navy officer, were killed, and 17 sustained injuries when armed individuals initiated gunfire at tourists in IIOJK, marking the most severe attack of its kind in the area in almost two decades.

According to law enforcement, the assault transpired on Tuesday in the well-known location of Pahalgam—a distinguished tourist destination in the summer, approximately 90 kilometers distant from Srinagar.

The incident unfolded in a meadow removed from the main road, and among the deceased were 25 Indian citizens and one Nepalese citizen, as confirmed by authorities.

A relatively unknown organization, identified as “Kashmir Resistance,” asserted responsibility for the attack in a statement released via social media. The group voiced dissatisfaction regarding the settlement of over 85,000 “outsiders” in the region, thereby instigating a “demographic shift”.

In 2019, India nullified Kashmir’s unique status, bifurcating the state into two federally governed territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

This action empowered local governing bodies to grant domicile rights to non-residents, affording them prospects for employment and land acquisition within the contested Himalayan territory. This situation has strained relations with Pakistan, with the dispute giving rise to intense hostility and military clashes between the nuclear-armed neighboring nations.

Incidents targeting tourists in IIOJK have been infrequent. The most recent lethal episode occurred in June 2024, when a minimum of nine individuals perished and 33 suffered injuries after an assault triggered a bus transporting Hindu pilgrims to plummet into a deep ravine.

Prime Minister Modi, in response to the event, stated: “Their sinister scheme will never be realized. Our commitment to combatting terrorism is resolute and will only grow stronger.”

Concurrently, US President Donald Trump contacted Modi to promptly provide “complete support to India in bringing the perpetrators of this abhorrent attack to justice.”

Other international figures, including EU head Ursula von der Leyen, also denounced the attack.