From Pahalgam to Propaganda - India’s Dangerous Game

In the aftermath of the tragic attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), New Delhi has resorted to its now-familiar tactic of hurling baseless accusations at Pakistan. This tired script – blaming Islamabad before any credible investigation has even begun – reflects not a desire for justice, but a political impulse to exploit tragedy for domestic optics and regional provocation. The response from Pakistan, on the other hand, has been rooted in maturity, restraint, and strategic clarity.

The National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, rightly condemned the loss of innocent lives and reiterated Pakistan’s principled stance: terrorism in all forms is unacceptable, and any link between Pakistan and the Pahalgam attack is a fabrication, lacking even the faintest veneer of evidence. That India rushed to implicate Pakistan without investigation is not only irresponsible—it is dangerous.

The reality is stark. Kashmir remains an unresolved international dispute, acknowledged through multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. India’s unilateral abrogation of Article 370, its demographic re-engineering in IIOJK, and the systematic repression of political dissent have created a volatile environment. What India brands as “terrorism” is often the desperate outcry of a subjugated population, crushed under the weight of state militarism.

Yet, it is not just Kashmir that reflects India’s descent into chauvinism. The passage of discriminatory laws like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the systemic persecution of Muslims, and attempts to undermine Waqf properties reveal a broader pattern of majoritarian tyranny. India’s own minorities live under fear, and the international community is beginning to take note.

What’s more alarming is India’s recent decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance—a move that Pakistan considers an act of war. Brokered by the World Bank and respected for over six decades, this treaty is not just a legal instrument; it is a lifeline for Pakistan’s 240 million citizens. Any attempt to divert water flows, in contravention of international law, will be met with the full force of Pakistan’s national power.

India’s warmongering media, echoing state-driven propaganda, has further inflamed tensions. From fabricated surgical strikes to false flag operations, India has mastered the art of narrative manipulation. But facts are stubborn things. Pakistan holds in its custody incontrovertible evidence of Indian-sponsored terrorism—none more damning than the confession of Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving officer of the Indian Navy, caught red-handed in acts of subversion on Pakistani soil.

India’s international record is also under growing scrutiny. Its involvement in extraterritorial assassinations—first in Canada, then the United States—has exposed a darker dimension of its foreign policy. Pakistan, too, has provided undeniable proof of Indian attempts to carry out such operations within its borders. These are not the actions of a responsible democracy; they are the hallmarks of a rogue state.

Pakistan’s response has been swift and strategic. Diplomatic downgrades, expulsion of Indian defence advisors, suspension of the Wagah border crossing, and the cessation of airspace and trade routes are not signs of escalation—they are measures of deterrence. They signal to India, and to the world, that Pakistan will not be cowed into submission nor allow its sovereignty to be violated with impunity.

The Two-Nation Theory, once critiqued as outdated, now finds grim validation in India’s actions. The fears articulated by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1940 reverberate with haunting accuracy today. Pakistan has always sought peace in the region, but never at the cost of its dignity, security, or sovereignty.

India must realise that peace cannot be built on propaganda, nor stability achieved through suppression. It must abandon its reflexive blame game and face its own moral contradictions. Until then, Pakistan reserves the right to defend its borders, its narrative, and its people with all means at its disposal.

As history has shown—from the skies over Balakot to the diplomatic tables of Geneva—Pakistan’s resolve remains unbroken. And so long as its sovereignty is threatened, that resolve will remain unwavering.