Report on Pahalgam shows there was ‘real-time intel' sharing between terrorists & ‘Pakistani handlers'
The report, accessed by ThePrint, mentions that intercepted communications and satellite surveillance indicates the existence of coordination between militants on ground and their controllers and operatives based in Pakistan, with digital footprints traced to safe houses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi. Moreover, the intel suggests that the Pahalgam attack involved 'real-time intelligence' sharing and planning, based on the manner in which it was executed.
New Delhi: A status report prepared by the police on Pahalgam says that investigations, assessments, and intercepted communications have ascertained links between the terror attack and Pakistani handlers.
'This is based on eyewitness statements and initial probe,' the source said.
As for the two locals whose names have surfaced in connection with the Pahalgam attack—Aadil Hussain Thoker from Bijbehara and Aasif Sheikh from Tral—sources said local residents had seen them in Anantnag in the days leading up to the attack.
Intelligence records suggest that Aadil went to Pakistan in 2018 and returned this year. So far, intelligence records don't show that Aasif, too, had gone to Pakistan, sources said.
Tuesday's attack claimed at least 26 lives and left 17 others injured. Armed with military-grade weapons like AK-47s and M4s, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on tourists in the lush green Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam. Victims were singled out based on their religion and shot in cold blood, while women and children were spared.
After the attack, the assailants are believed to have fled into the Baisaran forest, just 100 metres from the site of the killings. The Baisaran forest is densely covered with Deodar trees.
Further forensic analysis and survivors' testimony confirms logistical aid from trained handlers.
The assault started at around 11 am during which, the report says, four to six heavily armed men wearing military-style fatigues ambushed the tourists. Upon failure to recite the Islamic verses, the terrorists executed the victims from a close range. The report also mentions that the brutality of the attacks and their premeditated nature suggests that it was a coordinated plan aimed at stoking communal tension and damaging the social fabric of the region.
The Resistance Front, which has claimed responsibility for previous attacks in the Valley, has also claimed responsibility for this one—calling the killings a retaliatory act against what it described as 'demographic engineering' in Kashmir, a reference to the resettlement of Indians after the 2019 revocation of Article 370.
According to the status report, In 2024, in the 60 terror incidents documented in Kashmir, 122 were killed including 32 civilians, 26 security personnel and 64 militants. Nearly 60 percent of the executed militants are of Pakistani origin.
Following the attack Tuesday, India declared all defence advisers at Pakistan's mission in Delhi as 'persona non grata' and said they were expected to leave within a week. India also announced that it would hold the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan in abeyance.
Moreover, Pakistani nationals who came to India on SAARC visas have also been asked to leave within 48 hours.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also Read: 4 LeT terrorists, including 2 local men with body cams, carried out Pahalgam killings
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
34 minutes ago
- The Print
Maharashtra's cattle trade comes to near standstill as traders allege ‘free rein' to gau rakshaks
But it has been getting worse with each passing year, especially during Bakra-Eid, they say. Shaikh comes from the Qureshi community. An estimated 2 lakh members of the community, who are part of the cattle trade in Maharashtra, have been on a strike since the start of July to protest harassment by cow vigilantes. The harassment, which can easily spiral into physical assault, has become a part and parcel of their profession over the past decade, since the passage of Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2015. Mumbai: Hamid Shaikh is a licensed cattle trader and was on his way to sell a buffalo and three bulls. It would fetch him Rs 1.5 lakh, he hoped. But the 55-year-old returned home with bruises all over his body, no livestock and no money. 'Cow vigilantes stopped our truck and said we were taking these animals for slaughter which was not the case,' Shaikh told ThePrint about the incident from about three weeks ago. For instance, in Hamid Shaikh's case, he said he 'bought them (livestock) from Pachod (near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) market a few days ago and was taking them to Ch. Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) market for selling them'. 'I have all proper documentation for animals. Despite that, they took away my animals. They slapped me twice. I told them to not hit me since I had a bypass (surgery), but they still hit me. I was scared,' he added. Imran Babu Qureshi, national vice-president of All India Jamaitul Qureshi, told ThePrint that members of the community decided to go on strike 'because there is no response' from either the state government or police. 'There is an increase in incidents of cow vigilantes hitting our drivers, traders. That is the reason we have called this bandh.' In March 2015, the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Devendra Fadnavis banned sale, possession and consumption of beef by amending the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976, which allowed slaughter of old bulls and bullocks with permission from civic authorities. The amendment brought about a complete ban on slaughter of cows and their progeny, bulls and bullocks. It allowed slaughter of buffaloes subject to certain conditions. On 15 July this year, the All India Jamiatul Quresh (AIJQ), a union of cattle traders, met Maharashtra Minister of State (MoS) for Home Yogesh Kadam as well as Director-General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla with a letter, seeking protection from gau rakshaks. They sent another letter on 24 July, demanding the police issue directions/orders as assured to them to make sure cattle traders are not harassed by cow vigilantes. 'We would also like to state that due to pressure of such unauthorized persons/vigilantes, the concerned police officers in various villages, tehsils and districts in the state are pressured to proceed to seize such transport vehicles and animals which otherwise are permitted to be transported. This creates further harassment and troubles on the transporter and the trader,' the Maharashtra AIJQ president wrote in this letter. Members of the Qureshi community are now planning to meet again next week to decide on a plan of action. When contacted, Yogesh Kadam confirmed to ThePrint that he met AIJQ representatives and told ThePrint that there are always two sides to a story. The minister said he had already assured action against those harassing cattle traders. 'During our meeting, I told them to follow all the rules required to conduct their business as many times the transporters do not have requisite documents. At the same time, I have assured action against those who were harassing them and also asked to share their details. I have not received any information from them yet,' Kadam told ThePrint. On 14 July, MoS Home (Rural) Prakash Bhoyar told the Legislative Council that the state government was thinking of bringing in a new law against beef smuggling and also planning to withdraw cases against gau rakshaks by way of a new law to protect cow progeny. Also Read: Fodder for thought: Modi govt's cow welfare agency has been headless for 4 yrs, Rs 500 cr lying idle 'Will die of hunger' In Maharashtra, the slaughter of bovine is prohibited, and a certificate from a veterinary is required to slaughter buffaloes. This certificate needs to specifically mention that the buffalo is 'unfit' for milking and is not pregnant. Most of the 292 livestock markets in Maharashtra are now closed, barring some in Pune and Mumbai. These attract those who want to sell or buy animals for slaughter, and also farmers and traders who want to buy or sell animals either for farming or dairy businesses. The state government last year gave 'Rajyamata' status to cows and also approved the animal husbandry department's proposal to provide Rs 50 daily subsidy per animal to cow shelter operators. Members of the Qureshi community ThePrint spoke to say approximately 300-500 animals are traded at every market, each costing anywhere between Rs 10,000 to over a lakh, depending on the size, age and the fitness of the animal. They add that harassment of cattle traders at the hands of cow vigilantes has been steadily rising since the passage of the 2015 legislation. 'There is a lot of hooliganism in the name of gau raksha in the state. The police are not cooperating with us. We are all very scared. Markets used to be full of animals but everything is closed now. We are suffering huge economic losses as well,' said Aziz Qureshi, Nanded district coordinator, AIJQ. 'About 50,000 people from our community are in this trade in the entire district. They are saying we will die of hunger but think twice before going back into the trade,' he added. Community members said the bandh started about a month ago with the Nagpur market and slowly spread across the state. They also alleged that while police do not register their complaints, FIRs are filed against members of the Qureshi community instead. Asked to comment on these allegations, minister Kadam said, 'I told them to tell me which particular area they are facing issues with. Won't be happening all over Maharashtra. So they need to give me a particular area or organisation troubling them. I will make sure that I tell the police to act accordingly. But except for the letter, I haven't received any official complaint. If need be, we will talk to them again.' The Qureshi community is demanding strict action against vigilantes/extortionists and proper implementation of the provisions of sections 6 and 8 of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976, and the Transport of Animal Rules, 1978. Another allegation is that the animals gau rakshaks confiscate are taken to 'gaushalas' (cow shelters) operated by the government. Cattle trader Moinuddin Qureshi alleged his truck containing seven buffaloes was taken away by gau rakshaks on 6 June and an FIR was registered against him and the truck driver. ThePrint has seen a copy of the FIR. The animals were later sent to a gaushala while the police investigated the matter and found nothing suspicious, he said. According to Moinuddin, the police then wrote to the gaushala saying that 'during the investigation, we found that Qureshi has all the documentation including fitness certificate for the buffaloes' and that the complaint was made out of a 'misunderstanding'. ThePrint has seen a copy of the letter. However, Moinuddin is yet to get his livestock back. 'In fact, now the gaushala has gone to local court against us and refusing to give us our animals … Everything is legal, we have the documents but only because of our religion, we are being harassed.' Other cattle traders too said once the animals are sent to the local gaushala, it is very difficult to recover them. 'Behind every animal, the government gives a certain amount for nourishment of these animals at the gaushalas. But when our farmers and traders are trying to get back the animals from gaushalas, they are not there. So where did our animals go? Where are they taking them?' asked AIJQ acting president Javed Qureshi. Shaikh agreed. He was told his animals were taken to Badnapur gaushala. 'But even two days back when I went there, I did not see my animals there. Don't know where they are. I might never get them back now.' (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: BJP's 'cow protection brigade' gets official stamp in new animal husbandry ministry
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Pakistani TikToker Sumeera Rajput Found Dead, Daughter Alleges Poisoned For Refusing Marriage: Report
New Delhi: Sumeera Rajput, a TikTok content creator known for her videos on the platform where she had amassed over 58,000 followers and more than one million likes, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her home in the Bago Wah area of Sindh's Ghotki district, as reported by Geo News. District Police Officer (DPO) Anwar Shaikh told the media that Rajput's 15-year-old daughter alleged her mother had been poisoned. According to the daughter, several individuals had been pressuring Rajput into a forced marriage. She claimed that these individuals gave her mother poisonous tablets, which led to her death, Geo News reported. Rajput's body was moved to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination. Dr. Sarwanand, the medical superintendent, stated that the initial examination showed no signs of physical violence, though samples have been sent to a laboratory to determine the precise cause of death. Police have taken two individuals into custody for questioning. However, no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered so far. Authorities said the motive remains unclear and that they are investigating multiple angles to determine if foul play was involved. This incident follows a disturbing trend of violence against female content creators in Pakistan. Just last month, 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf was reportedly shot dead inside her home in Islamabad's Sector G-13/1. Yousaf, who had more than 740,000 followers on the platform, was with her aunt at the time of the shooting. Also Read | Who Was Sana Yousaf? 17-Year-Old Pakistani TikToker Shot Dead In Islamabad: Report Islamabad Police arrested the suspect, Umar Hayat, also known by the nickname 'Kaka,' within 20 hours in Faisalabad. The case, as reported by Geo News, sent shockwaves through the online community and reignited conversations about the increasing risks faced by women in the digital space.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Pakistani TikToker Sumeera Rajput found dead, daughter alleges murder over forced marriage pressure
Pakistani TikTok influencer Sumeera Rajput was found dead under suspicious circumstances in her home in the Bago Wah area of Sindh's Ghotki district, in what is emerging as yet another case of violence against women content creators in the country. According to Pakistani media house Geo News, the 15-year-old daughter of the deceased has alleged that her mother was murdered by individuals who had been coercing her into a forced marriage for a long time. She claimed Sumera was poisoned with tablets that ultimately led to her death. While two suspects have been taken into custody, police are yet to file a First Information Report (FIR). Authorities say they are currently investigating whether foul play was involved. The case has renewed concerns over the growing number of attacks targeting women influencers in Pakistan — a pattern of gendered violence that has persisted despite public outrage. Sumera had over 58,000 followers and more than a million likes on TikTok. Her death comes just a month after another young TikToker, 17-year-old Sana Yousaf, was shot dead in Islamabad. Sana, who had amassed over 500,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, was shot at her home by a man who had allegedly been harassing her for months. The accused, 22-year-old Umar Hayat, reportedly killed her after she rejected his repeated 'offers of friendship.' The killing sparked a wave of outrage online, with hashtags like #JusticeForSanaYousaf trending on social media platforms such as X and Instagram. Born on June 2, 2008, in Upper Chitral, Sana came from a family of activists and was celebrated for her bold content that blended Chitrali folk culture with advocacy for girls' education and women's rights. A first-year medical student, she was seen as a rising voice challenging conservative gender norms in Pakistan. Sumera and Sana's deaths are the latest in a growing list of women influencers who have faced violence — often from within their own families or communities. In January, a 15-year-old was allegedly murdered by her father and maternal uncle in Quetta for refusing to give up TikTok. Both men were arrested and confessed, ARY News reported. The pattern is reminiscent of the 2016 murder of social media icon Qandeel Baloch, who was strangled by her brother in a so-called honour killing that drew global condemnation and ignited a national conversation about women's safety and freedom in Pakistan.
