Opinion | Pahalgam: Remembering the Martyrs, Rejecting Pakistan-Sponsored Terrorism

Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has already scarred countless families in Kashmir. Young lives have been misled, radicalised, and lost to a cycle that has brought nothing but grief to this land. We remember the 26 innocent lives not as numbers, but as human beings whose absence is deeply felt. We stand with their families with humility and respect. Their loss is ours to carry.

A question has always bothered me. Out of all the Muslim-majority countries in the world, why is Pakistan so obsessively fixated on Kashmir? If religion was the real reason, then why just Kashmir and not the rest? That argument falls apart the moment you look at it closely. So what is it then? For many of us here, the answer is not complicated. Kashmir has been treated as a theatre for Pakistan’s long-running proxy agenda, a place where instability is not accidental but sustained. For decades, attempts have been made to keep this region disturbed, to pull it back just when it begins to move forward. In the name of so-called jihad, a narrative has been pushed that has nothing to do with faith and everything to do with manipulation. Young minds have been misled, anger has been manufactured, and violence has been dressed up as something noble. Meanwhile, those who fuel this cycle have remained comfortably distant from its consequences. Kashmir has paid for this, in lost lives, in broken families, in disrupted education, and in an economy that repeatedly takes a hit just when it begins to recover. The Pahalgam terror attack is one of the latest and most painful reminders of that reality. As its first anniversary approaches, I spoke to fellow Kashmiris from different walks of life to understand how they see it, not in headlines, but in lived experience.

Ali Zaroon, a Regular Columnist

As we observe the first anniversary of the Pahalgam terror attack, my thoughts are with the families who lost their loved ones. I remember the martyrs in my prayers. Terrorism has no religion, and this attack proved it yet again. A local pony operator, Syed Aadil Hussain, was shot multiple times by the terrorists, a stark reminder that those who carry out such acts stand outside every moral and religious boundary. Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has already scarred countless families in Kashmir. Young lives have been misled, radicalised, and lost to a cycle that has brought nothing but grief to this land. We have seen it, we have suffered it, and we have rejected it time and again. As Kashmiris, we have consistently denounced this violence, and we do so again today without hesitation. On this day, we strongly condemn this barbaric act carried out by Pakistani terrorists and pay tribute to the 26 lives lost on 22 April 2025 in the meadows of Baisaran, Pahalgam. They will remain in our prayers, and in our memory.

Faiz Noor, a Peace Activist

I firmly believe that peace is the essence of life. For years, Kashmiris longed for it, many of us had hardly seen what true normalcy felt like. In recent years, that began to change. There was movement on the streets, confidence among people, and a visible return of everyday life. But that is exactly what Pakistan cannot tolerate. If peace prevails here, their entire terror machinery loses relevance. For them, instability is not a byproduct, it is the objective. We had begun to see record tourist footfall. Srinagar was overflowing, Pahalgam was packed, Gulmarg was thriving. It had become difficult to even find a room during peak season. And then, suddenly, that fragile stability was targeted. The Pahalgam terror attack was not random. It was a calculated strike by Pakistan sponsored terrorists, exploiting a moment to disrupt peace in the meadows of Baisaran. Twenty-six innocent lives were taken on a land known for its serenity. What followed was familiar, empty streets, tourists leaving, businesses shutting down, livelihoods shaken. From hotel owners to street vendors, everyone felt the impact. And yet, the same Pakistan continues to project itself as a sympathiser of Kashmiris. As people of this land, we reject that hypocrisy. We have always stood for peace, and we will continue to do so. On this day, we remember the martyrs with respect, honour their memory, and firmly denounce Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in all its forms.

Karishma Khan, a college student

In our childhood, normal schooling was rare. Elementary classes would barely settle before long spells of hartals disrupted everything. In recent years, that cycle had finally begun to fade. For the first time, we were experiencing what a normal academic life looks like. Kashmir was slowly reclaiming its place as a peaceful and thriving region. But the Pahalgam terror attack shook that progress and pulled us back in many ways. Pakistan and its deep state have repeatedly tried to destabilise this region. First, they misled an entire generation, handing them guns under a narrative falsely linked to religion, something neither justified in Islam nor accepted by society. Then came the menace of narco-terrorism, and cycles of fidayeen attacks. Now, the latest scar has been the targeting of innocent civilians. Kashmir is a land of saints and Sufis, and its people have always stood as its protectors. What I witnessed after this attack was something I had never seen before, Kashmiris on the streets openly rejecting Pakistan and its role in such violence and chanting “Pakistan Murdabad”. That moment, though painful, reflected a clear shift in public sentiment. A nation that disrupts the livelihoods and peace of ordinary people cannot claim to stand for them and may it remain “Murdabad’ forever. On this day, we remember the brave lives lost in Pahalgam, pray for their souls, and stand firmly with their families. Their loss will not be forgotten.

Masrat Bano, Boutique Owner

I don’t speak in big political terms. I speak from what I have lived. Every time something like the Pahalgam terror attack happens, it is people like us who feel it first and the hardest. My work depends on customers, on weddings, on tourists, on a sense of normal life. For the past few years, things had finally started to look better. Markets were open, orders were coming in, and there was hope that we were moving ahead. And then one incident, and everything collapses. This is not random. This is what Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has done to Kashmir for years, hit our peace, hit our economy, hit our daily lives. They don’t just take lives, they choke livelihoods. They don’t let this place breathe. We sit here and rebuild again and again, while somewhere else people keep pushing this cycle of violence. And then they have the audacity to speak in our name. We don’t need anyone to speak for us. We know what we want, peace, stability, and a chance to live with dignity. On this day, I remember those 26 people who lost their lives. I pray for their families. And I say it clearly, we reject this violence, and we reject those who keep sending it into our land.

Syed Showkat, Political Commentator and Activist

Let us stop pretending that incidents like the Pahalgam terror attack are isolated. They are not. They are part of a sustained pattern of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism aimed at keeping Kashmir unstable and uncertain. For decades, this strategy has remained the same, disrupt peace whenever it begins to take shape. Whether it was radicalising youth under a distorted narrative, pushing fidayeen attacks, or now targeting unarmed civilians, the objective has always been to derail normalcy. What has changed, however, is the response of the people. Kashmiris today are far more aware. There is a growing refusal to accept these narratives, a visible rejection of violence, and a clear understanding of who benefits from keeping this region in turmoil. The Pahalgam attack was not just an assault on innocent lives, it was an attack on the progress Kashmir has been trying to build in recent years. It targeted our economy, our tourism, and the fragile confidence that had started to return among the people. There must be clarity in how we call this out. Pakistan cannot continue to sponsor terror and at the same time attempt to present itself as a voice for Kashmiris. That contradiction is no longer acceptable. As we mark this day, we remember the 26 lives lost with respect. But remembrance alone is not enough. There must be a continued and collective rejection of this cycle of violence, because the future of Kashmir cannot and will not be written through terror.

Conclusion

As these voices come together, one truth stands out without ambiguity. The Pahalgam terror attack was not an accident of violence. It was the result of a long-standing pattern of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism that has repeatedly tried to drag Kashmir back just when it begins to move forward. Let there be no confusion anymore. This cycle has cost Kashmir its peace, its stability, its youth, and its growth for decades. It has thrived on disruption, fed on instability, and shown complete disregard for the lives it destroys. And yet, those responsible continue to hide behind hollow narratives while ordinary people here pay the price. But something has changed. Kashmiris are no longer silent observers of this pattern. There is clarity today, a refusal to be misled, and a visible rejection of any force that seeks to turn this land into a battleground again. This is not just remembrance. This is a statement. We remember the 26 innocent lives not as numbers, but as human beings whose absence is deeply felt. We stand with their families with humility and respect. Their loss is ours to carry. And alongside that remembrance, there is a clear message. Kashmir rejects this Pakistan-Sponsored terrorism. Kashmir rejects Pakistani narrative on Kashmir. And Kashmir will not allow its future to be dictated by terror again.

Email: soulofkashmir1@gmail.com