In a perverse twist of international diplomacy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) disbursed $1 billion to Pakistan on May 9, 2025, just weeks after the horrific Pahalgam massacre, where Pakistan-backed terrorists slaughtered 26 tourists in Kashmir. Reports indicate the United States leveraged this bailout to pressure Pakistan into a ceasefire with India, announced on May 10, effectively rewarding a state accused of sponsoring terror. This financial lifeline, unlikely to be repaid given Pakistan’s $130 billion external debt, underscores a troubling pattern: Western support sustains Pakistan’s destabilising actions, undermining global counterterrorism efforts and emboldening a regime that threatens regional and international security.

On April 22, 2025, the serene Baisaran valley, three miles from Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, became a scene of unimaginable horror. Seven Pakistan-based terrorists, violating a ceasefire, attacked tourists with automatic weapons, killing at least 26 people—mostly Indians—and injuring over three dozen. The assailants targeted non-Muslims, forcing captives to recite Islamic prayers and checking men for circumcision to identify victims. Described as India’s worst terrorist attack in over a decade, the massacre drew comparisons to Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel due to its calculated brutality.

India swiftly attributed the attack to Pakistan, citing its history of supporting groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba. The Indian government condemned the massacre and launched investigations, but the international response was lackluster. Some Western nations called for restraint from both sides, a stance critics argue equates India’s defensive measures with Pakistan’s aggression. This muted reaction set the stage for the controversial IMF decision that followed.

On May 9, 2025, the IMF approved a $1 billion disbursement to Pakistan, part of a $7 billion bailout programme initiated in September 2024. This decision came amid escalating tensions, with Pakistan launching drone and missile attacks on........

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