Opinion | Pakistan Army’s involvement in fueling terrorism in J&K

For over three decades, the Pakistani Army has played a pivotal role in fueling terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in to the killing of innocent people. Mounting evidence and global intelligence reports clearly show that it is the Pakistani military establishment — particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — that has systematically supported, trained, and armed terrorist groups to infiltrate Indian territory and carry out destabilize in Union Territories Territory.

The Pakistani Army’s sustained support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is not just a regional issue — it is a challenge to global peace and human rights. By arming and training terrorists, Pakistan has ensured that violence continues to overshadow the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The world must hold Islamabad accountable for its role in destabilizing South Asia.

Peace in Kashmir can only be achieved when terrorism is eradicated from its roots — and that begins by confronting and isolating those who fund, train, and export terror. The Pakistani Army must be pressured to dismantle its terror infrastructure and end its proxy war, or face continued global isolation and condemnation.

This state-sponsored terrorism has not only cost the lives of thousands of innocent civilians and brave Indian soldiers but has also severely disrupted the social, economic, and cultural fabric of Jammu and Kashmir.

Since the late 1980s, Pakistan’s approach to Jammu and Kashmir has evolved from diplomatic posturing to outright proxy warfare. Following its failures in conventional wars with India (1947–48, 1965, and 1971) and recent Operation Sindoor, the Pakistani Army and ISI adopted a strategy of “bleeding India with a thousand cuts” — a doctrine aimed at waging a low-intensity, prolonged insurgency through terror proxies.

Armed groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen, and Al-Badr have all operated with impunity from Pakistani soil, with direct logistical and strategic support from the ISI. These groups have been responsible for horrific terrorist attacks in Kashmir and across India — including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and countless assaults on Indian security forces and civilians in the Kashmir Valley.

The Pakistani Army has consistently provided training camps for terrorists in areas like Muzaffarabad, Manshera, and Balakot, giving weapons and explosives, including AK-47s, IEDs, and more sophisticated arms, communication and logistical support to aid infiltration across the Line of Control (LoC), safe havens for leaders of terror groups to operate freely and regroup after attacks.

These activities are well-documented by Indian security agencies and acknowledged by global intelligence communities, including those of the United States and European nations. Despite facing international pressure, Pakistan has continued to deny these allegations, even as terrorist leaders like Hafiz Saeed (LeT) and Masood Azhar (JeM) operate openly or with weak “house arrests” in the country.

The impact of this externally sponsored terrorism has been devastating that included over 42,000 deaths in Jammu and Kashmir since 1989 due to terrorism, including civilians, security personnel, and even former terrorists.

Mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the early 1990s due to targeted killings and threats, disruption of economic development, tourism, education, and normal life in the Valle and mental health crises, trauma, and generational fear among both Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits.

This endless cycle of violence, backed by Pakistan, has kept Kashmir on the edge, robbing generations of peace and prosperity.

Pakistan’s duplicity has been increasingly exposed on global platforms. Despite being listed on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List multiple times for failing to curb terror financing, Islamabad continues to offer tacit support to terror organizations under the guise of non-state actors.

The 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, which martyred 40 CRPF personnel, was claimed by JeM — yet Pakistan denied any involvement, even as India’s counter-strike in Balakot targeted JeM training camps. Furthermore, Pakistan’s domestic chaos — including military takeovers, political instability, and growing religious extremism — has made the Army more reliant on the Kashmir issue as a tool of domestic distraction and regional assertion.

India has taken significant steps to counter Pakistan-sponsored terrorism that Surgical Strikes (2016) and Balakot Airstrikes (2019) to respond militarily to cross-border aggression, Revocation of Article 370 (2019) to integrate Jammu and Kashmir more fully into the Indian Union, Enhanced border security, anti-infiltration grids, and use of advanced surveillance technology and Empowering local governance and ramping up economic and educational investments in J&K.

While the security situation in Kashmir has improved in recent years, with declining terror incidents and growing local participation in elections, the threat from across the border remains constant.

(The author is freelance writer based in J&K. He can be contacted at weldfare166@gmail.com)