Pahalgam Terror Attack: Place, Background, Implications & Outcomes - UPSC Notes

The "Baisaran Valley” of Pahalgam, Kashmir, also known as 'mini- Switzerland' turned into a bloodshed valley after a lethal Pahalgam terror attack. Resulting in the loss of lives of 26 civilians and many wounded. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a banned terrorist community recorded under UAPA, has claimed fault for the attack.

This topic is related to the General Studies Paper III, which covers Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Terrorism and Security, India’s Foreign Policy and Strategic Interests, Internal security, Role of Security Agencies, Border Management, etc. This comprehensive article will boost your preparation for each subject and to ease your UPSC journey join UPSC CSE Coaching today.

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Why In News?

The current Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir functions as a sad reminder of terrorism's constant threat to India's protection and social framework. Despite noteworthy improvement in counter-terrorism measures since 2019, including infrastructure evolution and provincial integration actions in Kashmir, such attacks show the ripening character of terrorist tactics and the requirement for constant alertness. India must strengthen its counter-terrorism protection initiatives through improved intelligence coordination, technological capacities, and global alliances. The Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has agreed on a 5-point action plan against Pakistan following the lethal terrorist attack in Baisaran Valley (Pahalgam), Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

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The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), reportedly claimed fault for the attack. The TRF appeared in 2020. It was declared a terrorist association by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2023 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, for its involvement in terror recruitment, smuggling, and infiltration from Pakistan into Jammu & Kashmir. TRF's rise followed two essential developments: the beheading of LeT's top leadership in 2018 and the cancellation of Jammu & Kashmir's special status in 2019. 

Targeted Civilian Attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir

A lethal terrorist attack happened in the Baisaran fields around Pahalgam, where around 40 travelers were targeted. Observers conveyed that the attackers used automated weapons and small arms, allegedly confirming the targets' religious identity before enforcing them at close range. This observes the first significant civilian-targeted terror aggression in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Declaration of Commitment and Ideological Justification

The Resistance Front (TRF), a fellow of Lashkar-e-Taiba, has declared fault for the terror attack in the Baisaran valley of Pahalgam near Kashmir. In its report, TRF opposed the allotment of 85,000 residence certificates to non-locals, considering it an action toward demographic alteration in the area. Regardless, security agencies have yet to confirm the genuineness of this claim.

Remote Terrain Exploitation 

Administrators emphasized that the assaulters leveraged the non-motorable landscape of the Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam to their benefit, particularly impeding convenient emergency reactions. Despite its remoteness, the location falls under a high-security spot due to its closeness to the Amarnath pilgrimage road.

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Pahalgam Terror Attack Implications and Outcomes

Protection Lapse: The lethal terror attack of Pahalgam damages the overall history of peace and tranquility post-Article 370 and reveals essential voids in present counter-terrorism frameworks. Financial Impact on Tourism: Pahalgam, a prime tourist spot, may undergo a notable decline in footfall during the prime summer season. This will adversely influence the regional financial status, mainly businesses and services dependent on tourism. Tactful Ramifications: The terror attack overlapped with the visit of global stars, casting a shadow over India's internal protection vision and potentially helping negative records, mainly from Pakistan. Communal Polarisation Risk: The targeted character of the killings is reportedly founded on religious identity. This lethal act indicates an intention to outrage communal anxieties. Such acts risk disrupting societal peace and align with the broader terrorist plan of destabilization through anxiety and division.

Major 5-Point Action Plan Announced by India After the Pahalgam Terror Attack

Recess of the Indus Waters Treaty: India has discontinued the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) until Pakistan stops its support for cross-border terrorism. It reflects a change in India's strategic calculus, utilizing hydrological power as a force tool. Closure of the Attari-Wagah Border Check Post: India has shut down the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, Punjab, stopping all individuals and goods activity. Only people who have crossed over with valid records will be allowed to return by 1st May 2025. Revocation of SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistan: India has canceled the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani citizens. All SVES visas already allocated are considered nullified. Removal of Pakistani Military Advisors: Pakistan's Defence, Naval, and Air advisors in New Delhi have been announced persona non grata and must leave India. India will also withdraw its advisors from Islamabad.  Reduction of Prudent Personnel: India will reduce the staff force at its High Commission in Islamabad to 30, down from 55, by 1st May 2025. This denotes a noticeable downgrade in prudent engagement, and bilateral dialogue was planned to be frozen at the official level.

Pakistan's Response Towards India's Five-Point Action Plan

Pakistan has announced a series of retaliatory diplomatic moves against India and demanded evidence to back up the Indian government’s claims that Islamabad was involved in the Kashmir attack. Pakistan’s response to this massacre is along expected lines and will only add fuel to the fire. Far from being ashamed or contrite about this massacre of civilians by their proxies and jihadists, Pakistan washed its hands of the incident and the Pakistan Army fielded its mouthpieces to try and deflect attention and muddy the waters. The Pakistani response is as per their standard playbook—issue a pro forma condemnation, unleash trolls and politicos to allege that it was a ‘false-flag’ attack, dare India to take any action warning of massive and disproportionate retaliation, and if they are in a generous mood, offer to cooperate and investigate provided India shares evidence.

• Break of Bilateral Deals: Pakistan would consider suspending all bilateral deals with India, including the 1972 Simla Agreement.
• Trade recess: All business forms with India, including transit business via third countries, have been stopped. India-Pakistan business had displayed signs of healing, reaching USD 1.2 billion in 2024, a 127% growth from 2023. Abeyance changes these gains.
• Firm denial of IWT Suspension: Pakistan blamed India's suspension of the IWT, calling it improper, and cautioned that any diversion of river waters under the treaty would be regarded as an "act of war."
• Airspace Closure: In a move parallel to the 2019 post-Pulwama airspace closure, Pakistan has again closed its skies to all Indian-owned or operated aircraft, including military flyings. This concerns Indians flying to the Gulf, Europe, and the US, expanding travel time, fuel costs, and fare hikes.
• Closure of Wagah Border: Pakistan has also closed its side of the Wagah border post.
• Tactful Downsizing: The force of India's High Commission in Islamabad will be lowered to 30 members, expelling Indian defense officials.
• SAARC visa Revocations: All SAARC visas for Indian citizens have been withdrawn, excluding Sikh pilgrims, for whom the Kartarpur Corridor will stay open.

Prime Geopolitical Factors Behind Pakistan's Pahalgam Attack

Pakistan, with whom India has fought three major wars over the Muslim-majority region, has officially claimed to be giving only its "moral and diplomatic" support to the separatist movement. After independence from colonial rule, India and Pakistan were engaged in a war over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. At the war's end, India controlled the southern portion of the princely state. While there were sporadic periods of violence, no organized insurgency movement existed.

India's Kashmir Policy

Pakistan considers India's cancellation of Article 370 in 2019 and Kashmir's integration as a challenge to its self-claimed superiority due to its unlawful occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan's growing marginalization and India's success in stabilizing Kashmir may have forced Pakistan to resort to brutality to reassert its function in the province.

International Separation

Pakistan's standard partners, like the US, Gulf states, and China, are distancing themselves due to Islamabad's declining dependability and retrieval. Also, with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan's strategic significance to the US has sharply dropped, leaving it diplomatically separated.

Financial Failure 

A crumbling economy, soaring inflation, and feeble state organizations have left Pakistan increasingly dangerous. Rising Baloch insurgency and ongoing terror movements along Pakistan's western front have made the nation less attractive to foreign investors, aggravating its economic problems and hampering opportunities for healing.

Global Geopolitical Messaging 

The timing of the Pahalgam attack, overlapping with PM Modi's visit to Saudi Arabia and the US Vice President's trip to India, points to Pakistan asserting its provincial control and signaling its ongoing impact in South Asia. Despite international condemnation, Pakistan may see multinational engagement as a possibility to re-engage diplomatically amid its growing seclusion.

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