LoC isn't key
Predictably, Pakistan responded on Thursday to India's retaliatory measures post the Pahalgam terror attack. Unsurprisingly, given that Pakistan has very few cards to play, its responses don't amount to much. Take the statement that all bilateral agreements, including the 1972 Simla accord, will be in abeyance. But the accord didn't prevent Kargil or multiple ceasefire violations by Pakistan. Pakistan's army has repeatedly violated the sanctity of LoC. So, if Islamabad is now saying there's no recognising an LoC anymore, it hardly makes any material difference to India. True, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by New Delhi has limited near-term punitive power. But as one of our OpEd columnists points out, suspension of the treaty can potentially be very costly for Pakistan. That's not the case with India vis-à-vis anything Pakistan threatened. What'll happen from here on is impossible to predict. But whatever happens GOI has an urgent job at hand.
It needs to get to the bottom of the intelligence/security lapses that gave free entry and exit to Pahalgam terrorists. The point is not that there should be additional army boots on the ground in J&K. It's impossible to post security personnel in every tourist attraction or bazaar in Kashmir. The only thing that can thwart Pahalgam-style attacks is an intelligence network that feeds credible information to security forces. The best intelligence systems still rely on quality human intelligence or HUMINT. For that, any force needs some level of connect with at least some sections of locals. It's relevant here to note that many Kashmiris have openly and clearly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan's terror planners had clearly hoped that the incident would engender communal discord and reopen fissures in J&K. Instead, from north to south Kashmir, schools, colleges and shops remained closed in protest against what they termed as 'murder of Kashmiriyat'. But this message needs to be reciprocated by the rest of India – govts everywhere must take the strictest of actions against groups that harass Kashmiris.
To the extent this shows that more Kashmiris today are becoming genuine stakeholders in the normalisation process, it's good news for Indian intelligence agencies. Note here that Kashmiriyat thrives only in democratic India, not in PoK where Islamabad has carried out ethnic cleansing and engineered demographic change. Therefore, GOI and the entire security apparatus must leverage this moment to quietly seek the support of Kashmiris to strengthen HUMINT. If Kashmiris' response to Pahalgam stays as it is, the battle against terrorism may get just a little easier.
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This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
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