The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday filed a charge sheet in the Pulwama terror attack case naming 19 people, including the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror boss, Masood Azhar, for planning and executing the terror attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy, killing 40 CRPF personnel. In its intense investigation, the NIA found according to the charge sheet that Azhar's nephew, Mohammad Umar Farooq, was sent to Kashmir to execute the bombing and was in loop with the Jaish leadership back in Pakistan, during, before and after the attack. One of Azhar's brother also told Umar Farooq, who was later killed in an encounter, that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) wanted Jaish operatives to work out an attack on Indian Air Force bases; Jaish was also planning a second terror attack after Pulwama, but had to abort it due to a flare up reaction within India and international pressure on Pakistan.
Pulwama was a defining moment for geopolitics in South Asia. Despite Pakistan's strenuous denials, it was clear then and it is further clearer now that the attack had the clear sanction of the Pakistani establishment. A set of observers, at that point as usual, wanted to make a distinction between the Pakistani government and terror-based groups. But while it is still at the charge sheet stage, the NIA investigation has shown that this is an artificial distinction — and in fact, there was a very high degree of synergy, connivance and coordination between the Pakistani military intelligence and terror groups based in Pakistan. It also shows that Pakistan was more than willing to escalate the situation with another terror attack, but the Balakot retaliatory attack which India diplomatically termed as a “pre-emptive strike” and the concerted international diplomatic pressure, mobilised effectively by India, forced Rawalpindi to back off.
The international community today recognises Pakistan has given patronage to terror groups and supports terrorism as a State policy — but it has vacillated between appeasing Islamabad-Rawalpindi and penalising it in a somewhat half-hearted manner. Pakistan remains a key source of global instability, and any country may be with exception of its best friend, China wants stability must force Pakistan to act against terror. For India, the lesson is simple. In terms of security, New Delhi must never let its guard down, for Pakistan's intent is clear. In terms of individuals, acting liberal host to Azhar Masood in J&K Jail and then letting him get away in 1999 (after the IC-814 hijack) has proved enormously costly; such an error must not be repeated. In terms of diplomacy, India must be alert to the joint China-Pakistani project of undermining India and counter it across platforms.
