Though it doesn’t matter much at the diplomatic or international level, Pakistan could see an opportunity arising out of the hanging of Afzal Guru to stoke the flames in Jammu & Kashmir, New Delhi feels.
Guru was hanged on Saturday after being found guilty in the Parliament attack case in December 2001— an incident that ratcheted up tensions between the two countries.

The attack by five armed men, India said, was on its sovereignty and had left nine persons dead. Guru’s hanging had led to protests in Jammu & Kashmir as well as PoK, besides Jamat-ud-Dawah and other Kashmiri groups staging protests in cities across Pakistan.

JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, who New Delhi holds as the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, said Guru’s execution amounted to “judicial terrorism”. 

Sources pointed out that Pakistan has never raised the issue at an official or diplomatic level. But it is unlikely that Islamabad would miss an opportunity to stoke the flames in Kashmir. “Pakistan never used to take up this issue in any manner at the diplomatic level. However, that said, Pakistan would very well see an opportunity in raising tempers in Pakistan. They could see an opportunity here,” a source said.

Sources said “it all depends on how well the administration could manage the fall-out” in the Valley.  They also didn’t see Pakistan raking up this particular issue at the international level, and reasoned that recent efforts by Pakistan to internationalise the LoC killing issue didn’t gain much traction.

The Pakistan media has been prominently reporting the hanging. “The hanging is also expected to make the Congress look as hardline as the main opposition party. The demeanour is considered useful with the urban middle class voter,” Dawn said.