View of the valley where the Pahalgam attack occurred. Photograph Source: Hellohappy – CC BY-SA 4.0

India and Pakistan appear once again to be inching towards the precipice of a perilous confrontation in the wake of a terrorist attack in Pahalgam in the heavily militarized region of Kashmir. The assault left 26 Indian tourists dead. Without waiting for even the semblance of an investigation, India rushed to accuse Pakistan within minutes after the incident.

Subsequently, New Delhi unveiled a predictable array of retaliatory measures against Islamabad. Among them is the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, a keystone agreement on the sharing of cross-border rivers that has somehow survived multiple crises over the past six decades. Additional steps include the closure of the border crossing, the cancellation of visas, and an enforced downsizing of Pakistan’s diplomatic footprint in the Indian capital.

These so-called retaliatory measures were unveiled with little regard for due process—no investigation into the Pahalgam attack, no credible evidence linking Pakistan to the tragedy. India’s foreign secretary offered only a vague reference to “cross-border linkages,” yet an orchestrated chorus in the Indian media eagerly pinned the blame on Islamabad.

“Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced when India imposed retaliatory measures. Yet India has shown no interest in any impartial and international investigation. How in the world’s most densely militarized zone, with over 600,00 Indian military and paramilitary troops, could a group of armed militants manage to infiltrate 400 kilometers deep, launch a major attack, and vanish without a trace?........

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