At least 26 individuals were killed and numerous others were wounded after militants shot at tourists in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on Tuesday, marking the deadliest attack of its kind in the country in almost twenty years. The assault occurred at a well-known tourist location in the picturesque Himalayan area of the Pahalgam district.
The assault by terrorists in Pahalgam district of J&K occurred just days after Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir referred to Kashmir as Islamabad’s “jugular vein.”
Kashmir is Islamabad’s ‘jugular vein’: Gen Asim Munir
Speaking at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad on April 16, General Munir commented on Kashmir, stating, “Our stance is absolutely clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle.”
Munir further stated that the “sharp distinctions between Hindus and Muslims” were the reason for the creation of the Islamic Republic.
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He spoke to an assembly of Pakistanis living abroad that they represent the nation and should always remember they are part of a “superior ideology and culture.”
“Our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different. Our traditions are different. Our thoughts are different… That was the foundation of the Two-Nation Theory,” Munir added.
He also supported the two-nation theory that formed the foundation for the Partition in 1947.
External Affairs Ministry condemns Munir’s remarks
The Ministry of External Affairs denounced Munir’s statements and stated, “How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein? This is a union territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally occupied territories by that country.”
TRF claimed responsibility for the attack
On Tuesday, The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the outlawed Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist organization, took responsibility for the assault in a social media post.
On Wednesday, security agencies unveiled photos and sketches of the terrorists responsible for the assault.
