Pulwama Attack and Pak-India Relations

Kashmir has always remained a bone of connotation between Pakistan and India since 1947. More than seven decades have passed since independence, yet, both the international and regional countries are unable to come up with any kind of solution for the Kashmir issue. Pakistan has always stood up against the unjust use of violence in Indian administered Kashmir on international forums and on the other hand India is known for consistently blaming Pakistan for the disturbance in Jammu & Kashmir. India has repeatedly been found blaming Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in India through insurgent groups like Hizb-ul-Mujahideen etc. which are responsible for creating an anti-state narrative in Jammu and Kashmir and are fighting for the freedom of Indian occupied Kashmir.

One such recent attack happened in Pulwama, where an indigenous Kashmiri is involved in a suicide attack that killed at least 40 Indian soldiers as per India Today news channel. The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, who hit his vehicle with the convoy of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), in Pulwama, South Kashmir. The convoy was carrying around 2500 Indian soldiers in 78 vehicles. According to the Indian media reports, the vehicle use by suicide bomber was Scorpio SUV, carrying explosive of around 300-350kg (600-650lb) and it hit the bus which was carrying around 44 Indian soldiers. The incident took place in Srinagar-Jammu Highway which is only 20km from the Srinagar city. Keeping in mind that Srinagar is a heavily guarded area by the Indian soldiers. The convoy was taking the troops from Jammu to Srinagar.

Jaish-e-Muhammad took the responsibility of attack, and the Indian politicians and media is convinced that Jaish-e-Muhammad and indirectly Pakistan was involved in the attack. But irony is that the suicide bomber, Adil ahmed Dar, resident of Gundibagh village in Pulwama district of south Kashmir doesn’t have any links with Pakistan as Pakistan itself has banned Jaish-e-Muhammad long time ago. Ahmed Dar was a new member in Jaish-e-Muhmmad, he was firstly part of Zakir Musa’s Ghazwat-ul-Hind which is most commonly known as ISIS of Kashmir. Keeping in view that Indian government has always blamed Pakistan for any kinds of attack in Kashmir, the government of India is still trying to prove that Pulwama attack is carried out with the help of Pakistan. Pakistan condemned the Pulwama attack and called it a matter of “grave concern” and has rejected the allegations imposed by the government of India on Pakistan for being a part of Pulwama incident.

Just a few months ago, the government of India claimed that they have been successful in containing the insurgent movement. Two questions arises on this statement after the Pulwama attack, firstly if they have been successful in suppressing the insurgent movement/ freedom fighters then why a convoy composing of 78 vehicles carrying 2500 armed soldiers were taken to Srinagar? And secondly, the video message from Ahmed Dar clearly presents the hatred still present in the indigenous Kashmiris, if they have been successful in containing the insurgent groups then how come an attack of such massive level can be carried out under the eyes of these Indian soldiers. The intelligence agency of India believe that the Jaish-e-Muhammad’s top leader Abdul Rasheed Ghazi is the master mind of the Pulwama attack based on the history of Ghazi as he was trained in Afghan war and is an IED specialist. The Prime Minster of India, Narendra Modi, gave strong statement stating that, “Security forces have been given permission to take decisions about the timing, place and nature of their response… This is an India of new convention and policy”. But in Indian Occupied Kashmir, the armed Indian soldiers and security forces are already doing what they think is right because of the unjust laws implied the area. The government of India has taken decision to take away the “Most Favoured nation” granted to Pakistan in order to globally isolate Pakistan. It is time when the Indian government must admit the security laps in its intelligence rather than blaming Pakistan for any activity that takes place in India, as already been said by the Foreign Office spokesperson, “We strongly reject any insinuation by elements in the Indian media and government that seek to link the attack to Pakistan without investigations”.

The Pulwama incident has caused more bad to the already worse Pak-India relations. The Prime Minster of Pakistan, Imran Khan, tried to bring India on negotiation table in order to bring regional stability but Indian government rejected it over and over again and Indian government has taken Pulwama attack another excuse to not talk on Kashmir issue. The only solution to Pak-India long lasting rivalry is free and fair plebiscite under the administration of United Nations as per the United Nations Security Council resolutions.