News Desk
NEW DEHLI: India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) formally charged militant groups and six individuals over the false flag Pahalgam attack in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir that left 26 people dead and triggered some of the most severe military clashes between India and Pakistan in decades.
The attack, which mostly targeted Hindu tourists in the Pahalgam region, prompted New Delhi to accuse Pakistan of supporting the assault, an allegation that Islamabad has consistently denied. According to the NIA, the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its offshoot, The Resistance Front (TRF), were directly involved in “planning, facilitating, and executing” the attack.
The charge sheet, spanning 1,597 pages and filed before a special court in Jammu, represents the first formal legal step against the perpetrators. The investigation, which lasted eight months, traced the conspiracy back to Pakistan, with authorities asserting that the groups and the individuals charged had acted to wage war against India.
Among the six individuals named, three had been killed by Indian security forces during Operation Mahadev in Srinagar in July and were charged posthumously. Two others already in custody faced charges, alongside a man accused of serving as a “Pakistani” terrorist handler. Officials emphasized that the filing of the charge sheet marked a critical stage in the legal proceedings surrounding the April attack.
The incident and the subsequent military exchanges between India and Pakistan had sparked widespread concern over the risk of escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors. While India has sought to link the attack directly to Pakistani-backed militants, Pakistan has rejected any involvement. A spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The NIA’s filing highlights the continuing tensions in the region and underscores the challenges faced by both countries in addressing militancy along the disputed border. Legal experts note that the proceedings are likely to be closely monitored, not only for their domestic implications but also for their potential to influence diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Islamabad.
