Saturday, March 29, 2025
In a controversial statement made at the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Azerbaijan, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused India of using the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack to intentionally destabilize peace in the region. Sharif’s remarks came just days after India launched retaliatory airstrikes inside Pakistan under Operation Sindoor, targeting terror camps linked to the perpetrators.
On April 22, 2025, a deadly terrorist attack in the scenic Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, killed 25 tourists and one local resident. It has been labeled one of the worst terrorist incidents in recent years in Kashmir. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a known proxy of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
In response, India initiated Operation Sindoor, carrying out precision airstrikes on at least nine terror camps operating inside Pakistani territory. The Indian Air Force also reportedly damaged several Pakistani military installations. The operation continued until May 10, when Pakistan formally sought a ceasefire, following significant losses.
Speaking at the ECO summit, Sharif described the attack as “tragic” but condemned India’s response, calling it reckless and provocative. He claimed India’s actions were designed to inflame hostilities and destabilize peace in the region. “India used the unfortunate incident in Pahalgam as a pretext to display hostility without restraint,” Sharif alleged. He also reiterated Pakistan’s long-standing stance on Kashmir, calling for global attention to what he described as “brutality against innocent civilians” in the Union Territory.
Sharif further extended his criticism to recent international conflicts, including Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Iran. He condemned what he called “atrocities against innocent people” in all regions, asserting, “Pakistan stands against every power that commits oppression against civilians, whether in Gaza, Kashmir, or Iran.”
His remarks referenced Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, a series of airstrikes in June that targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, resulting in over 600 casualties. That conflict also ended in a ceasefire after 12 days of heavy fighting.
Back at home, tensions remain high along the India-Pakistan border, although a fragile truce is holding for now. India maintains that its actions were strictly in retaliation for a cross-border terror attack that cost innocent lives.
