- Terrorism is being unleashed by Pakistan in Kashmir in novel forms through various emerging and proxy terror outfits, apart from the conventional terror organisations of the 20th century.
- Despite short periods of peace, terror incidents keep erupting, and 100s of terrorists are rigorously active on the other side of the border even to this day.
- The proxy terror outfits, predominantly comprising the vulnerable youth of Kashmir, are seeking to revolutionise their unfair zeal through novel terror acts that are ultimately threatening the sovereignty and security of Kashmir and India at large.
- Pakistan diverts the attention of their people and the world away from its disoriented political and economic structure by repeatedly bringing the Kashmir question, through which they seek a sense of victory and gratification.
Introduction: The article highlights how there is a paradigm shift, like terror attacks in Kashmir in recent times, compared to the terror frameworks of the 20th century. It also seeks to decode the reasons behind the resurgence of terrorism in the valley, in the backdrop of the recent Pahalgam terror attack. The article aims to fortify the fact that Kashmir was and is an integral part of India, and the nation must decisively articulate its rhetoric to defend the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Kashmir and beyond. Ultimately, India must once again validate to the world that legitimate authority will always prevail and sway over and against the misdeeds of illicit alien forces!
‘Kashmir is indeed a paradise on earth, ’ echoed thousands of tourists. With its snowcapped mountain peaks, lush green dense forests and serene lakes, the tourism ecosystem of the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir was gleaming with pride and picturesque moments. Swiftly, the scenario shifted, beyond anyone’s comprehension. ‘Kashmir is precarious and perilous, ’ the trembling voices of the same tourists reverberated the dangers prevailing amidst the ecstatic valleys of Kashmir. Within a span, India witnessed one of the darkest chapters of its sovereign history, the Pahalgam terror attack!
An attack that claimed the lives of more than 25 civilians and injured many others, particularly tourists who hailed from all across the nation, was a testimony to the embroiling threats emanating into India in the form of cross-border terrorism. It reflects a peculiar geopolitical challenge for India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, despite India consistently weaving political, military and strategic measures to counter the cross-border menace arising from its north-western frontier.
Resurgence of Militancy and the Risk to National Security
India has been a victim of cross-border terrorism ever since the days of partition in 1947 as a result of Pakistan’s unreasonable aspiration and illegal means to seek hegemony over Kashmir. However, in the past decade, there was a sharp cut in the number of terror incidents compared to the 1980s and 90s, when the region was a hotbed for militancy and anti-national activities. Nevertheless, this hitherto historical hustle is resurfacing, thus derailing the socio-political and economic growth momentum of the union territory. Despite a sigh of relief, Kashmir is yet again suffocating by getting stuck in the scary nets of terrorism.
For example, according to the intelligence inputs, 42 terrorist launch pads are currently active along the LO, C and approximately 130 terrorists are active in these zones who frequently attempt to infiltrate into India. In 2023, there were approximately 50 terror-related incidents in the Kashmir valley. As per the data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), in 2022, terrorists attacked migrant labourers, military and other police personnel on 17 different occasions, causing 8 fatalities and more than 34 people being injured. As well, the number of security personnel who succumbed to death was 30.
These numbers appear minuscule and the situation seems to be stable and manageable when compared to the scale of threat that existed in the decade of the 1990s and early2000s0. For instance, the number of terrorist incidents in the year 1992 was 4,971 and 4,011 in the year 2001. The number of security personnel who laid down their life was also a massive 6308 in the year 2000, according to SATP statistics. Thus, the data from recent years assures normalcy & instils a faith of peace being gradually reinstated in Kashmir. It renders a sense of hope in the path of achieving integration of Kashmir completely into India, not just politically and geographically, but also economically and emotionally. Despite this beacon of light, terror incidents keep erupting, and 100s of terrorists are rigorously active on the other side of the border even to this day. Incidents such as the Pahalgam terror attack unearth the intensity and depth of the geopolitical challenge that India is encountering and alarm about the need for a comprehensive strategic response from a realist perspective.
The pivotal reasons underlying the resurgence of terror incidents range from the rise of new terror outfits, the incursion of novel technologies while crafting terror attacks, to the strategic moves and gains made by New Delhi in Kashmir. Terrorism and proxy attacks, of course, are also used as a pawn against the internal political and economic instabilities faced by Islamabad.
Rise of New Terrorist Outfits and Novel Approaches
Terrorism is being unleashed in the Kashmir valley in novel forms by various emerging and proxy terror outfits, apart from the traditional terror organisations of the 20th century. To quote the latest example, the Pahalgam attack was carried out by ‘The Resistance Front’(TRF), a proxy of the traditional Lashkar-e-TaibLeteT) that was formed in 2019. Similarly, the People’s Anti-Fascist Front(PAFF) is a proxy of Jaish-e-Mohammed(JEM). They have adopted novel techniques along with the traditional guerrilla warfare method to strengthen their expanse and revolutionise their ideology. They use social media and other digital platforms to radicalise their propaganda, recruit local youth and raise funds.
According to J&K police, in 202,2, TRF recruited and trained 74 youths with the aid of social media and other digital platforms, in which, unfortunately, many were Kashmiri youths and locals. The terror outfits have also espoused various technological tools that have spiked the intensity of the calamities. For example, in the 2019 Pulwama attack, the suicide bomber used an Improvised Explosive Device(IED) that killed 40 CRPF personnel. In 2022, drones were used to drop IEDS on a military setup in the Jammu region. These proxy outfits, predominantly comprising the vulnerable youth of Kashmir, are seeking to revolutionise their unfair zeal through novel terror acts that are ultimately threatening the sovereignty and security of Kashmir and India at large.
A Shift in the Target and the Terrain
In the past decade, the targets of the terrorists were predominantly military personnel and other local police personnel. However, lately, they are switching their attention towards unarmed civilians, migrant workers and tourists. In the recent Pahalgam incident, the terrorists deliberately targeted unarmed and non-local tourists. The targeted landscape has also altered. In the past, the terror groups were operational in the fringes of the LOC, such as Rajouri, Poonch, Baramulla, etc. But now they are encroaching on the hinterlands and comparatively less militarised regions in the South of the Pir Panjal Range.
For example, in the Pahalgam incident, the region of Pahalgam lies in the heart of the Anantnag district, which is more than 100km away from the LOC but only 54km away from the capital Srinagar. This shift in the target population and the landscape testifies to the agenda and resolve of the terrorists. They intend to instil fear and shock among the common people, thereby derailing the economic development and growth potential of the union territory. The scenario, thus, is alarming, and it’s high time for India to decisively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Abrogation of Article 370 and the aftermath
In August 2019, the Government of India abrogated Article 370 and thereby politically integrated the state of Jammu and Kashmir completely into the Union of India. This strategic masterstroke irked the rulers on the other side of the border. With the declaration of J&K as a union territory and due to the direct control of the central government in the administration, governance and security of the region, the number of terror incidents came down drastically. As per the data published by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the number of terror incidents in 2018 was 228, but it was reduced to 43 in 2023.
Despite these consistent efforts and achievements, terror incidents keep sprouting occasionally, as Pakistan deems the abrogation of Article 370 as a strategic defeat and urges to rectify it by intruding into the territory of Kashmir through proxy ways and by seeking to establish hegemony in the valley. The Pahalgam incident is one such attempt to prove their agenda. Henceforth, tackling terrorism from the roots should be the focal point to switch from the existing superficial peace to perpetual peace in Kashmir. That’s the epicentre that India should address to realise its sovereignty in Kashmir and to accelerate the progress of the region in the truest sense.
Kashmir inches Towards Developmental Dynamism
The abrogation of Article 370 and the declaration of J&K as a union territory also unleashed a wave of developmental and economic initiatives in the region. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 53 infrastructure projects were accelerated in the domain of higher and medical education, highways and roads, hydroelectric projects, irrigation, etc. Of course, a massive boost was given to the tourism ecosystem. In the year 2021, Rs. 28,400 crore was allotted to develop the industrial sector of J&K.
These steadfast developmental ambitions and huge flow of workers and tourists to the UT from all across the country further fueled Pakistan’s aggression and proxy wars. They continued to supply terror networks into Kashmir with a motive to shake the developmental aspirations of the region and to consolidate their narrative towards Kashmir on a global level.
Pakistan’s Peculiar Course to Counter Internal Squabbles
Pakistan is currently disintegrated and distorted economically, politically and strategically. The country is entangled in unbearable levels of inflation and fiscal deficit. It also has a soaring external debt due to the depletion of its forex reserves. The GDP growth rate is projected to be a mere 2.6% for the financial year 2025, and its forex reserve is sufficient for just a few months. On the other hand, Pakistan is obligated to repay US$ 22 billion of its external debt in the year 2025, but it requires US$18 billion in external finance to run its economy.
The political instability prevailing in Pakistan for decades now is one of the major causes of its poor economic condition. The helm of Pakistan, being rooted in Rawalpindi, decides the fate of the leaders in Islamabad. Legitimately elected people are thwarted from power, er and since the formation of the country, not even a single elected Prime Minister has been successful in completing their term as they have failed to fulfil the aspirations of Rawalpindi. This political instability is being further exacerbated under the current political setup, and the political volatility is adding to the economic peril.
The question of Balochistan is also fuelling the deteriorating situation of Pakistan. The Jaffar Express train hijack incidenrevolutioniseded by the Balochistan Liberation Army(BLA) in March 2025, is a testament to the spiking aggression and animosity among the Baloch people against Islamabad. This issue is further escalating the rift between the Baloch separatists and Islamabad, bringing the question of Pakistan’s stability and integrity to the forefront. The internally fragile Pakistan, thus, considers Kashmir as an answer to their internal hitches. It diverts the attention of their people and the world away from its disoriented political and economic structure by repeatedly bringing the Kashmir question, through which they seek a sense of victory and gratification.
India’s Sustained Counter-measures and Further Options
“A man-made border that does not match a natural frontier zone is particularly vulnerable,” exclaims renowned American political scientist Robert D. Kaplan. The statement is certainly true to the geopolitical precariousness prevailing between India and Pakistan. However, this historically rooted problem should not be a shortcoming in India’s growth story in a decade when the country is emerging as the world’s 3rd largest economy.
Accordingly, in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror incident, India has retorted through a series of diplomatic channels. It has suspended the Indus Water Treaty and has revoked the visas for Pakistani nationals, thus ordering their evacuation. It has reduced the diplomatic strength of the High Commissions of both countries and has closed the Attari-Wagah border as well. India has also shut the Indian airspace to all Pakistani aircraft and has blocked Pakistan-flagged vessels from entering Indian ports. In the latest phase of acute geopolitical strife, India has completely cut its trade ties with Pakistan, wherein no Pakistan-originated product can enter the Indian market either directly or indirectly. There is also a severe crackdown on Pakistani social media operating in India.
These sharp diplomatic measures were surely the need of the hour to prove India’s sovereignty and geopolitical firmness, and these piercing measures will, to an extent, cause a setback to the Pakistani economy and civilian life that is hitherto fractured and fragile. As per the global rating agency Moody’s, Pakistan is prone to huge economic risk as the tensions with India can hamper its ability to gain external financing and can strain its foreign exchange reserves, thereby jeopardising its fiscal consolidation efforts, ultimately leading to macroeconomic instability. On the other hand, Moody’s survey affirms that the Indian economy will remain robust due to strong consumer spending, public investment, etc., and the tensions with Pakistan will only have a minimal impact on the Indian economy and its growth momentum.
Also, the successful precision testing of the INS Surat, a surface-to-air missile over the Arabian Sea and other military manoeuvres symbolise the stellar military capabilities of India and its ever-readiness to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security. Any further strategic move by India should be of utmost vigilance, as it will surely attract counterattacks from the opposite camp. Despite such suspicion of counter-strikes, India must act diplomatically or militarily, depending on the need and the prevailing sensitivity across the border, er to reaffirm its sovereignty over Kashmir. Also, India must take an independent stance and craft a sharp strategic stencil irrespective of any external pressure or interference by other geopolitical bulwarks, because Kashmir has been an integral part of India since time immemorial and now it’s time to reassure it once again with an apex motive of ensuring a lasting peace, security and prosperous future for the inhabitants of Kashmir and beyond!
References
- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1988275
- https://www.satp.org/terrorism-assessment/india-jammukashmir
- https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/from-pahalgam-to-the-loc-india-pakistan-tensions-near-breaking-point
- https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/pahalgam-attack-spotlights-pakistans-terror-strategy-in-post-article-370-kashmir-2716538-2025-04-28
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/big-economic-setback-pakistan-economy-has-more-to-lose-than-india-moodys-warning-amid-ongoing-tensions/articleshow/120896177.cms
Pragathi Kowndinya is a postgraduate in Political Science with a background in Journalism, Psychology, and Economics. A UGC-NET qualifier and former UPSC aspirant with International Relations as her optional subject, she is a freelance writer contributing regularly to websites and magazines on topics such as geopolitics, international relations, and national governance. Views expressed are the author’s own.
Aayush Pal 
Sughosh Joshi 
Saisha Kamla Dudha