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The Wire
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Questions Abound as NIA Dismisses Reports of Botched Investigation in Pahalgam Attack
The Congress has targeted the Union government for 'hastily' releasing the sketches of three terrorists allegedly involved in the Pahalgam attack and raised questions on the NIA investigation. An accused who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly harbouring terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack is being produced before a court, in Jammu on Monday, June 23, 2025. Photo: PTI New Delhi: With Jammu and Kashmir police's probe under spotlight, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday (24 June) responded to allegations of a botched investigation and claimed that no local from Kashmir was involved in the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The Congress has targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government for 'hastily' releasing the sketches of three terrorists allegedly involved in the Pahalgam attack, one of whom was identified by the J&K Police as a local Kashmiri. The party also raised questions on the credibility of the investigation in the deadliest terror attack on tourists in Kashmir. In an attempt to quell these questions, the NIA said on Tuesday that it has gathered a 'substantial body of evidence' from eyewitness accounts from survivors, video footage, technical evidence and the J&K Police sketches 'about the identities of the Pahalgam perpetrators'. 'All this evidence is being carefully analysed and [the] NIA has not reached any conclusions at this stage,' the NIA spokesperson said. The agency dismissed the 'speculative' and 'misleading' reportage about the sketches and identities of the three terrorists involved in the carnage at Baisaran meadow on April 22. Per the sketches released by the J&K police, two Pakistan nationals identified as Hashim Musa and Ali Bhai, and a local Kashmir militant Adil Hussain Thoker, who crossed into Pakistan on a passport in 2018, were involved in the attack. Thoker's house in Guri village of south Kashmir's Anantnag district was among the nine residential houses of suspected militants which were arbitrarily demolished in different parts of Kashmir using explosives in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. The 'bulldozer justice', which had rendered the suspects' families homeless sparked widespread outrage and allegations that the punitive action by the authorities in Kashmir had violated the fundamental right of shelter guaranteed to the citizens by the Constitution. The destroyed house of Pahalgam terror attack suspect Zakir Ahmad Ganie after a blast in Matalhama area of Kulgam district, J&K, Saturday, April 26, 2025. Photo: PTI. [The children's faces have been blurred in accordance with laws on minors.] In a statement on June 22, the NIA said that two local residents – Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar – had 'disclosed the identities of' and 'confirmed' that three Pakistani terrorists were involved in the attack. The duo had reportedly harboured the terrorists at a 'dhok' (seasonal house) at Hill Park in Pahalgam on the night of April 20. However, instead of Thoker, the third militant was identified by the Indian Express as Suleiman Shah – another Pakistani national and the alleged mastermind of the Z-Morh tunnel attack in which seven employees of a private construction firm were killed by militants on October 20 last year. The NIA spokesperson said that the Jothar duo had 'knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists' and also 'provided food, shelter and logistical support' to them. 'NIA, which has arrested the duo under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, is further investigating the case RC-02/2025/NIA/ JMU, registered after the attack that shook the world on 22nd April 2025. Further investigations in the case are continuing,' the NIA statement said. The two were produced before a special NIA court in Jammu on June 23, 2025 which remanded them to five-days police custody. 'The NIA assures that the investigation is being carried out with the highest standards of professionalism, and all aspects of the terror attack are being thoroughly examined. The identities and further details of the terrorists will be made public at an appropriate time' the agency said. Thoker's name had cropped up in the Pahalgam investigation after a photo recovered from the phone of Junaid Ramzan Bhat – a Kulgam resident and a Lashkar-e-Tayyeba militant – showed him posing with three other Pakistani terrorists, two of whom are allegedly involved in the Pahalgam attack. Bhat was killed on December 4 in a gunfight with security forces in Dachigam on the outskirts of the capital Srinagar. Even as confusion prevails over the identities of the terrorists, some of whom were reportedly wearing masks on the day of the attack, reports said the J&K police had used the photo recovered from Bhat's phone as the basis for making sketches of the Pahalgam perpetrators. Alleging negligence in investigating the Pahalgam attack, the Congress had said that the conduct of the investigation agencies had raised 'serious questions'. 'Who were the real attackers? Where are they now? And why haven't they been brought to justice even after two months? It's been two months since the Pahalgam attack, and the nation is still demanding answers,' the party said. J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah also said on Tuesday that as per the NIA investigation, all the three terrorists who killed 26 civilians at Pahalgam were outsiders. 'It is a big revelation that no locals were involved. Two locals have been arrested who were forced by terrorists to give them food and shelter. Let the agency complete its probe,' Abdullah said. Earlier, Shehzada Bano, Thoker's mother, had told The Wire that their house, which was demolished five days after the Pahalgam attack, had been built by her husband and was not registered on Thoker's name. 'It is still registered in my husband's name. If he [Thoker] was involved in the attack, then the demolition is perhaps justified. But who will compensate us if he turns out to be innocent?' she had said. The family house of Asif Ahmad Sheikh, a suspected Lashkar-e-Tayyeba militant and a resident of Monghama village in south Kashmir's Tral, was also demolished using explosives amid allegations of his involvement in the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Sheikh's sister Yasmeena had told The Wire that the demolished house had been built by their grandfather and her family had received their share of two rooms in the ancestral property. Both her parents and all her siblings were detained in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. 'If my brother was involved in the Pahalgam attack, what has our family got to do with it? Why are our parents being punished for no fault of theirs? They destroyed the house entirely," she had said. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Indian Express
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
As NIA says Pahalgam attackers from Pak, Congress questions govt
The Congress on Monday targeted the Central government and asked if there was a 'major lapse' in the probe into the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists. 'Major lapse in Pahalgam terror attack probe? Soon after the Pahalgam attack, the Modi government hastily released sketches of three alleged terrorists. But now, according to a report by The Indian Express, none of the individuals in those sketches were involved in the attack,' the party said in a post on its official X account. The Indian Express on Monday reported that the arrest of two Kashmiri locals for allegedly harbouring the terrorists who carried out the Pahalgam attack has led the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to conclude that all three attackers were from Pakistan. The breakthrough is a departure from what was previously believed about the identities of the attackers. Two days after the Pahalgam attack, the J&K Police had released three sketches — of Pakistan nationals Hashim Musa and Ali Bhai alias Talha, and Kashmir resident Adil Hussain Thoker. Sources in Central agencies now say the three men in the sketches are not the Pahalgam attackers. 'In fact, the sketches were reportedly based on a photo recovered from the phone of a terrorist named Junaid, who was killed on 4 December 2024—months before the attack even occurred,' the Congress post said. This, the party said, 'raises serious questions', including why there was 'such negligence in investigating a brutal terrorist attack'. 'Were these fake sketches part of a headline management strategy by the Modi government—more about optics than real action?' the party wrote. 'How were these sketches released without proper verification? Was there external pressure on the police to act in haste?'.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Time of India
Among Pakistani terrorists behind Pahalgam killings, one was ex-SSG commando: NIA
Big twist in the Pahalgam massacre probe. NIA confirms three Pakistani Lashkar terrorists were behind the April 22 attack that killed 26, including 25 tourists. One attacker, Hashim Musa, was an ex-Pak Army SSG commando. Two locals, Parvaiz and Bashir Jothar, have been arrested for sheltering the terrorists. The attackers used Chinese apps to communicate with handlers. Investigators call this a major breakthrough confirming direct cross-border involvement. Show more Show less
Mint
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
New twist in Pahalgam attackers' identities: From Pak, but not those whose sketches released by J&K police, says report
In a withdrawal from what was previously believed about the identities of the Pahalgam attackers, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe revealed that all three attackers from Pakistan are different from those whose sketches were released initially by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Two days after terrorists opened indiscriminate firing at tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam district on April 22, killing 26 civilians, the J&K Police had released three sketches of Pakistan nationals Hashim Musa and Ali Bhai alias Talha, and Kashmir local Adil Hussain Thoker. A report published by The Indian Express, citing sources, on Sunday said that the three men in the sketches are not the Pahalgam attackers. In a major breakthrough in the Pahalgam terror attack case, the NIA arrested two men for harbouring the terrorists who had carried out the horrendous attack, the agency said on Sunday. According to an ANI report, the NIA said that the two arrested accused, Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote in Pahalgam and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park in Pahalgam, have disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack, and have also confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated to the proscribed terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). "Parvaiz and Bashir had knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) at Hill Park before the attack," said the NIA, citing its investigations. "The two men had provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, who had, on the fateful afternoon, selectively killed the tourists on the basis of their religious identity, making it one of the most gruesome terrorist attacks ever." According to the IE report, one of the attackers is believed to be Suleiman Shah, who was involved in the killing of seven employees of a firm constructing the Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway on October 20 last year. The report, which cited sources, also said that his co-accused from the attack, Junaid Ramzan Bhat, was killed on December 4 in a gunfight with the J&K Police. Police had reportedly recovered a photo of Junaid, along with three other terrorists, from Junaid's phone, which went viral after the Pahalgam attack. Sources said that this photo was used by the J&K Police as the basis for the sketches. The report also said that during the investigation, the central agencies and the NIA showed different pictures recovered from Junaid's phone to the two arrested locals, who recognised the men who had visited them two days before the Pahalgam attack. 'The fresh pictures were also shown to several witnesses, and they too confirmed their presence at the crime scene. All three are Pakistani nationals, including the Z-Morh terror accused Suleman Shah,' the IE report quoted a source as saying. 'Central agencies and the NIA are revisiting past cases and trying to tally ballistic reports so a strong case can be built against these attackers,' the source added. The NIA is also looking into whether Suleiman had any connection to the killing of three Army personnel in South Kashmir's Kulgam district in August 2023, and in another attack in Jammu's Poonch district in May last year. An Air Force personnel was killed and four others were injured in the attack. According to the report, before the NIA arrested the two locals for allegedly sheltering the attackers, the agency had questioned more than 200 people, including pony operators, shopkeepers and photographers. 'Parvaiz had a common friend with a pony operator, and their wives shared details of the visitor at their house,' said a source.
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pahalgam probe: In hunt for gunmen, 2 possibilities on radar
New Delhi: The manhunt for the Pahalgam attackers continues with no arrests since the April 22 assault at Baisaran meadow. (PTI) Indian security forces are pursuing two theories about the whereabouts of three terrorists who killed 26 tourists in Kashmir two months ago, with officials divided over whether the attackers remain in hiding or have fled to Pakistan. The manhunt for the Pahalgam attackers continues with no arrests since the April 22 assault at Baisaran meadow, according to three security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Authorities have identified the suspected attackers as Hashim Musa, also known as Suleiman, and Ali Bhai, also called Talha Bhai — both Pakistani nationals — and local operative Adil Hussain Thokker. The government has offered rewards of ₹ 20 lakh for each suspect. Initial eyewitness accounts suggested four to five terrorists could have been involved, though security forces have so far identified these three. Security agencies are split between two assessments of the terrorists' location, the officials said, citing these as based on 'tell-tale signs' and 'intelligence assessments'. The first theory suggests the same group was involved in a May 22 gun battle with security forces in Kishtwar's dense forests, where one army soldier was killed and two others wounded. Officials believe the attackers then fled deeper into the jungle towards the Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban border region and may have crossed into Pakistan. The second assessment holds that the terrorists remain hidden in the Tral ridge area, avoiding electronic communication with Pakistani handlers or local contacts. 'Both theories are based on intelligence assessments and have been discussed in detail by the Army, paramilitary forces and Jammu and Kashmir police,' said one official. 'But there is no definite answer.' Most security officials favour the second theory, citing heavy troop deployment near the border following the attack and continuous satellite surveillance. The National Investigation Agency, which is formally investigating the case, has questioned hundreds of people over two months, including suspected collaborators, pony operators, vendors and tourism workers. Investigators have also examined videos and photographs taken by families at Baisaran that day. Since the April attack, security forces have killed six terrorists in separate encounters across Kashmir, but the Pahalgam attackers remain at large. The Resistance Front, a proxy group for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation, claimed responsibility for the attack. Indian agencies say the group is a front used by Pakistan to avoid international sanctions. As first reported by HT on April 24, intelligence agencies traced the attack's digital communications to safe houses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi, establishing Pakistani involvement in what officials described as similar to the control room-operated 2008 Mumbai attacks. India responded with Operation Sindoor on May 7, bombing nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in pre-dawn strikes that killed at least 100 militants. The operation sparked four days of cross-border fighting involving fighter jets, missiles and artillery. On the night of May 9-10, the Indian Air Force struck targets at 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations before hostilities ended on May 10. Last week, the Financial Action Task Force condemned the Pahalgam attack, saying such operations require significant funding and money transfer capabilities between terrorist supporters. India also raised the attack at a United Nations meeting in Vienna last month, accusing Pakistan-based groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad of orchestrating attacks on Indian soil.
