Poonam Sharma
In February on Kashmir Solidarity Day, there was a conference in Lahore attended by some members of Hamas. Not only was their presence accepted, but it was even highlighted. Pakistan made no attempt to hide its preferences, and this led to a lot of speculation, because they have actually trained people who carried out what happened in Pahalgaum.
One of the most striking things about the attack was that the four terrorists involved were wearing body cameras—body cams. That is something Hamas has used to showcase their attacks. So, if terrorists here are using the same tactics, doubts naturally arise—whether local groups in this region have inspired or trained Lashkar operatives as well.
Now, there’s no confirmed report on this yet, But yes, this is a high-stakes lead. It’s possible that the attackers even passed through this area. The interesting part is, all of them were present together during the February 7th event—that was Kashmir Solidarity Day. People from Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hamas were all there. And it’s not like the public is so naive that they can’t see what’s going on—on Kashmir Solidarity Day, all these groups sitting together?
It’s like how conferences are held officially for one reason, but the actual backdoor deals and agendas are something else entirely. This was very straightforward—it came right out of the files—that all the terrorist organizations were meeting on February 7 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). After that.
Okay, when an attack happens secretly, everyone feels that something’s off. Doesn’t it seem like the entire operation was separate from us—but still carried out in our style? and the kind of equipment used in the attack, the way they operated—it was very much like (Hamas-style) operations.
And the presence of Hamas might also be due to court pressures. What’s clear is that these people managed to catch a flight and reach Pakistan. Their facilitation, the rate at which they were cleared, the fact that they were allowed to bypass certain checks—wow, that is one factor to consider.
Then there’s the issue of training—what kind of training? The Lashkar operatives are already trained by the Pakistani army, and beyond that, the level of detail in targeting and planning was next level. The anxiety with which it was executed—it was surgical. But one very important thing to note is the presence of Hamas again, which shows up in a third report.
There’s one more thing,. The only difference was, they didn’t do what happened in Israel on October 7—they didn’t touch women and children.
Remember what Hamas did on October 7 in Israel—it became infamous globally because of the brutalities they carried out against women and children taking a lesson from that, this group decided: yes, there will be an explosion, but it should remain an India-only event. It should not go global. Because the moment you harm women or children—it explodes globally like wildfire.
So here, they only targeted men. All the women were screaming, “You’ve killed our husbands—kill us too!” People of the same mindset—saying, how can we survive now?” Then what the local police did—they didn’t ask, “Are you a local?” They asked, “What’s your religion?” When a Hindu child couldn’t recite the Kalma, they killed him for being Hindu.
This was a clear signal: Hindu tourists should never feel safe here again. They killed just to instill fear—not for loot or territory.
one of the most important factors: The Shimla Agreement.
There’s a lot of talk around it. It seems Pakistan is making mistake after mistake. Many people don’t even know what exactly the Shimla Agreement is. After the 1971 war, where Bangladesh was formed out of Pakistan, Indian and Pakistani prime ministers met in Shimla for what was known as the “cardiac summit.”
It was an intense and emotional negotiation. And the outcome of that meeting was the Shimla Agreement. They decided on a few key things—two or three dates were set. The most important decision was to convert the Ceasefire Line into the Line of Control (LoC).
And there was an understanding that in time, both nations—or their representatives—would meet again to resolve the Kashmir issue. On India’s side, the understanding was clearly written in books that over time, LoC would evolve into the international border.
India was ready. But Pakistan never made such a declaration, nor did it ever agree publicly. So while we agreed to resolve all matters bilaterally, Pakistan started promoting terrorism in Kashmir soon after.
Now the most important part about what Pakistan has done is this: they mentioned a full database agreement, not limited to just Shimla t. They even referenced 1971. The former city leaders went to a nuclear-free zone and agreed not to target each other’s population centers during wartime.
What this reflects is an understanding that during a war-like situation, nuclear installations should not be targeted, since doing so could create catastrophic escalation. There are also protocols about overflights and needing to notify about any ballistic missile activity 40 km from the border or 10 km within.
If Pakistan is following through on all this with sincerity, that’s one thing—but we must be cautious. They themselves have invalidated the Shimla Agreement by not recognizing the Line of Control (LoC). That alone gives them cover to carry out any activity. Earlier too, Pakistan violated ceasefire agreements almost daily. So this cancellation may actually create more problems, not resolve them.
Shimla Agreement had a spirit of de-escalation, but Pakistan always manipulated it. For example, they never intended to follow through on the understanding that the LoC would become a settled international border. They kept using Kashmir to play games with the U.S. and other powers.
This cancellation is just performative. In the end, they never truly honored the Agreement. They sent terrorists instead of diplomats. They never stopped their propaganda. They should not have allowed cities to be turned into military targets. And they separated nuclear deals from this whole process.
Now about the annual nuclear installation sharing: Yes, on January 1st each year, India and Pakistan exchange lists of their respective nuclear facilities. The understanding is not to target these in any future conflict. Even though India is a responsible power and is unlikely to break such protocols, the same cannot be said about Pakistan. It’s entirely possible they might breach this.
If it were any other country, and something like what happened in Pahalgaum had happened (where civilians were allegedly targeted), they’d have retaliated strongly. Civilian targeting is a grave provocation. We had already won in 1971—we captured 93,000 Pakistani POWs. We had the perfect opportunity to solve everything. But we let it go.
We didn’t utilize that moment to settle the Kashmir issue. Akhnoor sector and other areas could have been secured. But the leadership thought that releasing the POWs was a magnanimous gesture. They believed this would foster peace. In hindsight, that might have been our best chance. The leadership at the time failed to use our leverage.
Today, the public is demanding action. They are angry. If the government doesn’t act, people will be furious. We need to be wise and cautious. Diplomatic strength has already been shown—but what’s the next move? Pakistan is playing paper games. We shouldn’t act hastily, but also not delay endlessly. People expect decisions, not just warnings.
The country is watching. Leadership has to choose wisely. If we miss this chance, we may not get another. The demand for action is strong and growing.
So now the question is—what’s the endgame? What’s the actual solution? Pakistan has been like this for 75 years. until the Pakistan Army is removed from its central role in governance, there will be no peace in that country—or for us.
There’s now a famous statement—yes, from none other than Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. He openly said, “We’ve been doing the dirty work for the US and the West for the past three decades.” He’s accepting it—right on live television. He says he’s too old now, he won’t take any more knocks.
Then came President Trump, and then Delhi—suddenly there’s a secret understood. After Article 370, everything was labeled wrong, that India is suddenly hyperactive, and struggling with a difficult virus. To extract caste details, even football is being used.
So this is it: it’s the Pakistan Army. You have to think beyond just that. This is the forward path, the way to fix international perception about Kashmir. under Prime Minister Modi, India has made a compact SUV-style turnaround. Even knowing what may lie ahead, they’re doing what needs to be done—daily. Like tin cans, good studies, pictures—they think practically: “Let’s do this now, we’ll see what happens later.”
When China enters the picture, the US will come close and create tension around it.A Pakistani delegation once went to China. Someone asked, “How can you claim the war will end in 14 days even before it begins?” The Pakistani said, “We just need a 14-day window.” Why? Because they know America will intervene. Then both countries will return to their respective corners.
They were asked, “So if you already know the result, why are you sending people to die? Why are you spending so much money?” Yet they continue the search as if they already know the outcome. Even if the Pakistani public starts thinking, “If India reacts, America will step in,” that mindset only thinks in terms of taxis—“let’s do it first and we’ll see later.” That’s how they are.
That’s why we’re reaching an interesting junction now. Pakistan is getting exposed even in the UN. When it comes to attacks like the recent one, the UN hasn’t issued a statement yet. There’s supposed to be a catalogue listing all names, but the UN hasn’t mentioned this one yet. Khawaja Asif gave a statement full of excuses—as if to say, “Look, we just did America’s bidding.”
And now he’s proudly saying, “We cleaned everything up for their training.” Everyone says this was a mistake. But he’s feeling proud about it, saying, “Look what we did to help you.” How could the US allow this? It’s like saying Pakistan is a double-state. They want to do something now, and later see if it flies. The New York Times did write something, but not the US Department. US department had to retweet and add the word “terrorist.” The excuse now is “breakdown of order.” State of war—3000 people. Thanks. But where’s the US? Deflecting.
Look at Ukraine—it’s been two years. Still ongoing. So you can totally relate to this. Even we get no clarity. Our people are in Gujarat for security. So many people being introduced. There’s voltage in the air,. Because might is working.
Two big attacks are coming up—February meetings of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, ISI top class. Not like some school-level stuff. They’re planning something big. Americans would’ve blocked it if they could. Maybe they tried, but this time, the plan succeeded.
Another thing— Pulwama? Behind that was someone from Iceland—Munir. And now this latest attack—same army chief, same ISI-connected trail. What a speech that guy gave last week in Islamabad. Even a Pakistani cricketer said, “We are a bodiless nation.”
Globally, India needs to reveal Pakistan not only as the patron of terror, but as a theocratic regime employing religion as an instrument of war. Nationally, we need to deconstruct the culture—media, academia, politics—within which Islamist terror is legitimized or wrapped in victimhood. This is not an attempt to demonize Muslims, but an effort to meet jihadism with the same moral courage with which we earlier challenged colonialism.
India’s future as a civilizational nation hinges on whether it can finally overcome its reluctance to call the enemy by its name. We cannot keep sending troops to die for a nation too afraid to fight back in the mind. Peace is a worthy ideal, but peace at any cost is surrender. And India shall never surrender.
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