‘Extreme religious outlook’: S Jaishankar links Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir to Pahalgam terror attack
S Jaishankar said terrorists killed tourists after confirming their faith to damage Kashmir’s tourism and deliberately create religious discord.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar has linked the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, where tourists were killed after being identified by their religion, to the “extreme religious outlook” of Pakistan Army chief general Asim Munir.
“Tourists were murdered in front of their families after ascertaining their faith, and it was done in a way in which it was intended to harm tourism, which is the mainstay of the Kashmir economy, and to create a religious discord. Deliberately, an element of religion was introduced,” S Jaishankar told Dutch broadcaster NOS.
Jaishankar added Pakistan’s leadership, particularly its army chief’s extreme religious outlook, is linked to the recent terrorist actions.
“And to understand that, you’ve got to also see the Pakistani side — you have a Pakistani leadership, especially their army chief, who is driven by an extreme religious outlook, so there is clearly some connect between the views that were expressed and the behaviour that was done,” said Jaishankar.
TRF on radar for years, claimed Pahalgam attack: S Jaishankar
Jaishankar said the terrorists have been identified by security agencies, and The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
He added that the outfit has been on India’s radar for years and has also been brought to the attention of the UNSC.
“We were able to identify who they (terrorists) were because there were pictures of them. There is a body which is called The Resistance Front, which took responsibility for that attack. The body has been on our radar for a number of years. In 2023, 2024, and 2025, we brought this body to the attention of the UN Security Council's 1267 Sanctions Committee,” said Jaishankar.
Just days before the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, recently promoted to field marshal, stirred controversy by reviving the two-nation theory, the ideological foundation of Pakistan’s creation, and urging Pakistani citizens to teach their children that they are “different from Hindus.” He also described the Kashmir issue as Pakistan’s “jugular vein.”
