Indian intelligence officials are examining whether a recent speech by Pakistan’s Army chief General Asim Munir served as a catalyst for the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which coincided with the visit of US Vice President JD Vance, ToI reported. In that address, Munir had described Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” a statement now being scrutinised for its possible influence on the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proxy group, The Resistance Front (TRF), which has claimed responsibility for the strike.
According to multiple intelligence officials familiar with the ongoing assessment, Munir’s rhetoric and his focus on the “differential treatment” of Muslims and Hindus may have emboldened militant groups. “It seems the attackers arrived a few days prior to the attack, conducted reconnaissance, and then struck when they saw an opportunity,” said one source in a TOI report. “In early April (1–7), there were inputs that terrorists had conducted reconnaissance of some hotels. So, there wasn’t an intelligence failure,” the source added in the same report authored by Raj Shekhar Jha.
Victims targeted based on religious identity
Six attackers, reportedly backed by local auxiliaries, executed the coordinated assault. Horrifying accounts have emerged of victims being forced to recite the kalma, an Islamic profession of faith. Those who failed were shot on the spot.
Among the key suspects is LeT commander Saifullah Kasuri, also known as Khalid. Intelligence inputs also indicate possible involvement from two Rawalkot-based LeT handlers, including a man identified as Abu Musa.
On 18 April, Musa hosted a rally in Rawalkot where he openly endorsed violence, declaring, “Jihad will continue, guns will rage and beheading will continue in Kashmir. India wants to change demography of Kashmir by giving domicile certificates to non-locals.”
Intelligence links rhetoric with rising militancy
The incident is seen not in isolation, but as part of a broader ideological revival in Pakistan that aligns with increased militant activity. Intelligence assessments suggest the anti-Hindu rhetoric, timed with protests over amendments to the Waqf Act, may be part of a coordinated strategy to rally Pakistan-based terrorists and inspire attacks in India-administered Kashmir.
As investigations continue, officials are analysing whether the timing and intensity of the Pahalgam attack were deliberately chosen to make a political and ideological statement during a high-profile international visit.
Pakistan denies role in Pahalgam attack
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday denied any Pakistani involvement in the deadly attack on tourists near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. He instead accused India of fuelling unrest within its own borders.
Speaking to Live 92, Asif said, “Pakistan has no connection with this. This is all home-grown, there are revolutions in different so-called states against India, not one, not two, but dozens, from Nagaland to Kashmir, in the south, in Chattisgarh, in Manipur. In all these places, there are revolutions against the Indian government.”
Asif, a senior figure in the ruling PML-N and a close aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, described the Kashmir violence as part of a broader domestic uprising.
The speech that raised red flags
General Munir’s remarks came during an Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad. Addressing the gathering, he said, “You have to narrate Pakistan’s story to your children so that they don’t forget it when 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, our ambitions are different, that’s where the foundation of the two-nation theory was laid. We are two nations, we are not one nation,” he added.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister was also present during the speech. Munir stressed the importance of remembering the sacrifices made for the nation’s formation. “Our forefathers, they have sacrificed immensely, and we have sacrificed a lot for the creation of this country, and we know how to defend it,” he said.
A revival of the two-Nation theory
Munir’s speech served as a forceful endorsement of the two-nation theory, which historically argued that Muslims and Hindus in the Indian subcontinent were distinct nations. “Please don’t forget the story of Pakistan, and don’t forget to narrate this story of Pakistan to your next generation, so that their bond with Pakistan never weakens, whether it is the third generation, or the fourth generation, or the fifth generation, they know what Pakistan is for them,” Munir told the audience.
This ideological framing, analysts say, risks hardening communal lines and intensifying tensions in a region already prone to volatility. The timing of such statements, close to the Pahalgam incident, is viewed by Indian officials as more than coincidental.
Beyond Kashmir, Munir also addressed internal security challenges, particularly in Balochistan. “Even ten generations of terrorists cannot harm Balochistan and Pakistan,” he declared. He also praised overseas Pakistanis for their support and contributions, reiterating the army’s commitment to countering terrorism within its borders.
But for many in India’s security establishment, Munir’s words are being read in the context of bloodshed, not unity. His address, intended to stir national pride, may have instead emboldened extremists across the border. The fallout is now being measured not just in speeches, but in lives lost.
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