JK News Today Analysis
Today- April 22, 2026- is a moment of reflection for the international community , as it marks the first anniversary of the ghoulish terror attack in the serene valley of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir . There are two reasons for doing so .One of them is President Trump’s over reliance on Pakistan army chief and praise for Asim Munir on the day when Pahalgam terror attack took place a year ago.
First, of course, is the fact that the Indian nation is shuddered at the thought of what had happened on this day in Baisaran meadows near world famous tourist resort on this day last year when terrorists chose tourists by their religion to shoot them in cold blooded murder . Twenty-five tourists- all of them Hindus from various states of the country and one from Nepal were killed . One Kashmiri Adil who attempted to resist the terrorists also lost his life
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had vowed to inflict “ unimaginable punishment” on the perpetrators and their backers . That statement was translated into diplomatic squeeze of Pakistan- the country that was squarely responsible for the terror attack as it wanted to create disturbances in the normal situation in Kashmir that had turned its back to terrorism and Pakistan , and started living normal life after decades of terror-hit environment and all-the -time expanding graveyards.
The man in the center of Pakistan’s this conspiracy against Kashmir and its soul and challenge to the Indian sovereignty was Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir , who has been elevated to the rank of Field Marshal and Chief of Defence Forces in his country. He had given out his plans in quite explicit terms on April 15, 2025 . in his speech delivered in Islamabad on the day at a function attended by Pakistani diaspora , he had invoked the two-nation theory of Hindus and Muslims being two different nations and claiming : “ Kashmir is our jugular vein.”
Some could decode some mischief in making in the speech of Pakistan’s army chief, but how exactly would it translate was in the realm of unknown. These suspicions came true on April 22, 2025 when Baisaran happened , leaving the whole country in shock and Pakistan hid behind excuses even when the whole world condemned the attack in unequivocal terms . This Asim Munir factor will be recalled yet again.
Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while remembering the Pahalgam terror attack victims , said : “ They will never be forgotten.” This was a statement of profound emotions and also telling the international community that India never forgets its citizens killed in Kashmir or anywhere else. He declared nation’s resolve and declared that , “ As a nation , we stand united in grief and resolve. India will never bow to any form of terror”. The heinous designs of terrorists will never succeed.’
A year after the tragedy, such words inspire confidence . These words have substantial backdrop- Operation Sindoor that decimated terrorists and their training centers in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7, 2025 , and Operation Mahadev that concluded only after the three terrorists involved in the gruesome attack were killed.. This operation rewrote the history of counter terrorism . Some day , it will be compared with American action against terror hubs in Afghanistan in the post 9/11 era and lasted for 20 years with little success on the ground. India achieved the success within 22 minutes of the launch of the operation .
Today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah , who was the first to visit Baisaran, Pahalgam immediately after the incident , in his words remembering the victims said : “ On. This day, we solemnly remember the innocent lives we lost in the horrific Pahalgam terror attack last year . The grief and pain of losing our people still remain in the heart of every Indian. Terrorism is the greatest enemy of humanity , against which we must stand united to fight and defeat . India will continue its zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and those who harbor it.” This remembrance has its own echo of strong message to the world.
A year after the Pahalgam attack, India will have to have a new look at the geopolitical realities in which Pakistan and its army chief Asim Munir have become cynosure of the US President Donald Trump of the United States , who seemed to have forgotten all the terror sponsoring history of the country . Trump , at least what is obvious from his social media posts and TV interviews in which he showers fulsome praise on Asim Munir and Pakistan P M Shehbaz Sharif .
On this particular day when Trump announced an indefinite extension of ceasefire with Iran and praised Pakistan and Asim Munir , the US President should remember what he had said on the day last year.. He had written on his social media handle : “ Deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir. The United States stands strong with India against terrorism. We pray for the souls of those lost , and for the recovery of the injured . Prime Minister Modi , and the incredible people of India, have our full support and deepest sympathies. Our hearts are with you all.”
While Trump was posting this message, it was clear to the whole world that the architect of the attack was Asim Munir . How could an architect of the terror attack in which 26 innocent civilians were killed in Kashmir could become a trustworthy negotiator or mediator for the United States. Did he hear that his own people are saying that Asim Munir’s connections with IRGC should serve as a red flag.
