The British broadcaster BBC has raised serious questions over the role of the Modi government and Indian intelligence agencies following the deadly attack in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
In its report, the BBC questioned the absence of security personnel in such a high-footfall area, highlighting that police arrived at the scene nearly an hour after the incident. It noted that the Pahalgam attack was a glaring example of a complete security failure, with no CCTV cameras installed at a site frequented by thousands of tourists.
According to The Hindu, an Indian daily, a camp of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was located just seven kilometers from the site of the attack, while the Rashtriya Rifles unit was stationed merely five kilometers away—yet no timely intervention was made.
Veteran journalist Anuradha Bhasin pointed out the contradiction that although security forces took hours to reach the site, they managed to obtain and circulate photographs of the alleged attackers within a few hours—raising further questions about the credibility and transparency of the official narrative. She emphasized that incidents like these continue to occur even after the revocation of Article 370, which the Modi administration had claimed would bring stability to the region.
The widow of Sailesh Bhai Kalathia, one of the victims, lashed out at an Indian minister who visited for condolences. Sheetal Kalathia questioned the government’s priorities, asking why VIPs had access to high-security vehicles while ordinary taxpayers remained unprotected. “Twenty-six people were killed in Pahalgam, but there was neither any security nor a medical team on site,” she lamented.
A survivor of the attack, Paras Jain, also testified that there were no police or military personnel present at the time of the assault—further exposing the vulnerabilities in the security apparatus.
The Pahalgam incident has sparked fresh outrage and skepticism over the Indian state’s handling of security in occupied Kashmir, especially in light of its persistent claims of normalcy and control in the region.
