India Calls Pahalgam Attack the ‘Original Escalation’ Amid Tensions with Pakistan
India on Thursday defended its counterstrikes against Pakistan’s air defence systems, calling the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people the “original escalation.”
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that India’s air and missile strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) were a direct response to the Pahalgam attack. “The attack of April 22 in Pahalgam is the original escalation,” Misri said in a press briefing, adding that India’s actions were “non-escalatory, precise, and measured.”
The strikes, conducted under Operation Sindoor, came after Pakistan attempted to retaliate by targeting Indian military installations. In response, India neutralised key components of Pakistan’s HQ-9 air defence systems across Lahore and other locations.
Misri also criticised Pakistan for defending The Resistance Front (TRF), which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). “Pakistan’s reputation as the epicentre of global terrorism is well established,” Misri said, pointing to recent admissions by Pakistani ministers about their ties with terror outfits.
He also raised questions about Pakistan’s practice of wrapping civilian coffins in national flags and conducting funerals attended by military and state officials. “It’s odd that state honours are being awarded to those identified as civilians,” he remarked, referencing funerals for individuals killed during India’s strike on terror camps.
Misri reiterated that India did not target any Pakistani military infrastructure or civilian areas. “Our operations focused solely on terror hubs,” he said. However, he condemned Pakistan for launching retaliatory artillery strikes across the Line of Control (LoC), which killed 16 civilians in Poonch and adjoining regions.
Videos from Pakistan and PoK showed high-profile funerals for those killed in the Indian strikes, with members of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) present. JuD, founded by 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, remains a designated terror group by India and several global agencies.
The April 22 suicide bombing in Pahalgam targeted a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims, killing 26 and injuring dozens. It was one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years. Following this, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
On Wednesday, explosions were reported in several Pakistani cities including Lahore and Rawalpindi, while Pakistan claimed Indian drones were neutralised in various regions.
