The terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last week that killed 26 tourists has laid bare the persistence of militant threats in the region, exposing serious lapses in Indian security and intelligence.

Amid growing calls in India for military action against Pakistan, which New Delhi accuses of backing the militants involved, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is once again posturing toward cross-border retribution. Yet more than a week after the attack in Pahalgam, India has not made a major military move. It suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, and both countries have expelled each other’s diplomats and military attaches.

The terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last week that killed 26 tourists has laid bare the persistence of militant threats in the region, exposing serious lapses in Indian security and intelligence.

Amid growing calls in India for military action against Pakistan, which New Delhi accuses of backing the militants involved, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is once again posturing toward cross-border retribution. Yet more than a week after the attack in Pahalgam, India has not made a major military move. It suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, and both countries have expelled each other’s diplomats and military attaches.

India’s main diplomatic challenge is to secure legitimacy for its actions under international law. It must prove that Pakistan is directly responsible for sponsoring the attack and similar acts of terrorism, as it has in the past. But India has not publicly provided any evidence, while Pakistan has called for an independent investigation. Indian media initially accused a group called the Resistance Front (TRF), which Indian officials say is a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, but TRF later denied responsibility.

In the days since the attack, India has launched an aggressive campaign aimed at building a strong case and gaining international legitimacy for a possible military strike. According to multiple sources within India’s foreign and security establishment, the government is preparing a dossier of evidence linking militants whom it accuses of conducting the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan’s intelligence services.

India has previously adopted a similar strategy, including after the 2019 suicide bombing in Pulwama, Indian-administered........

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