RAWALPINDI – Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Chaudhry slammed India for leveling baseless allegations in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, saying no evidence had been presented to support claims of Pakistan’s involvement, even a week after the incident.
Addressing a presser in Islamabad, Army spokesperson Chaudhry said India had yet to provide “a shred of evidence” to substantiate its accusations. “We are here to reveal how India has been running a terror network inside Pakistan, involving the supply of explosives, IEDs, and other materials to target not only military personnel but also innocent civilians,” he said.
He said evidence collected so far is just a glimpse of what he described as India’s broader strategy of “state-sponsored terrorism.” He emphasized that forensic analysis of the recovered materials provided “irrefutable” proof, which could be independently verified by any credible international body.
The army spokesperson identified Subedar Sukvinder, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army, as one of the key handlers involved in the network. According to him, the officer had dispatched an improvised explosive device (IED) and directed a militant to retrieve it from a designated location.
Further forensic investigations linked four Indian army personnel to the operation: Major Sandeep Verma alias Sameer, allegedly the chief handler and commanding officer in Indian-occupied Kashmir; Subedar Sukvinder alias Sikander; Havildar Amit alias Adil Aman; and another unnamed soldier.
Lt Gen Chaudhry alleged that Major Verma had recruited a Pakistani militant named Abdul Majeed and shared an audio recording purportedly capturing a conversation between the two regarding payment arrangements. “This is what we call undeniable evidence of state involvement in terrorism, and this is just from one terror cell,” he stated.
The revelations come amid escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors following Pakistan’s recent decision to suspend trade and diplomatic ties, and close the Wagah border crossing in response to India’s post-attack measures.
Pakistan has consistently denied any involvement in the Pahalgam incident and has urged international observers to take note of what it terms India’s ongoing violations of international law and interference in Pakistan’s internal affair
Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) addressed nation in a highly anticipated press conference at 6:30 pm today, following escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
The press conference follows growing anxiety after a warning issued by Pakistan’s Defense Minister earlier this week.
The tension between the two nuclear-armed nations remains high, with the international community closely monitoring the developments. As both sides continue to trade fire across the LoC, the press conference by the DG ISPR could play a crucial role in shaping the future trajectory of this increasingly volatile situation.
Pakistan-India Tensions
In a major escalation of tensions with India, Pakistan on Thursday announced the suspension of all trade relations, closure of the Wagah Border crossing, and a downgrading of diplomatic ties. The country also placed all bilateral agreements with India on hold and issued a stern warning that any move by New Delhi to disrupt Pakistan’s water rights under the Indus Waters Treaty would be treated as an act of war.
The decisions were finalized during a high-level meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting reviewed the evolving regional security situation in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack in the Anantnag district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the loss of several tourist lives.
In a strongly worded statement, the NSC condemned India’s response to the incident, calling the measures announced by New Delhi on April 23 “unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, highly irresponsible, and devoid of legal standing.”
Pakistan also categorically rejected India’s announcement to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. Emphasizing that water is a critical national resource for its population of 240 million, the NSC warned that any effort to halt or divert Pakistan’s share of water would be viewed as an act of aggression and “responded with full force across the complete spectrum of national power.”
Accusing India of disregarding international laws, UN Security Council resolutions, and long-standing bilateral obligations, the committee said Pakistan reserves the right to suspend all agreements, including the Simla Agreement, until India ceases its alleged support for terrorism within Pakistan, cross-border killings, and non-compliance with international norms regarding Kashmir.
As part of the measures, the Pakistani government has ordered the immediate closure of the Wagah Border crossing, suspending all cross-border transit from India. Individuals who entered with valid permissions will be allowed to return until April 30, 2025.
Additionally, all visas granted to Indian nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) have been cancelled with immediate effect, except for Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan for religious purposes.
These developments mark a sharp deterioration in Pakistan-India relations, which have remained strained over the Kashmir dispute and a series of cross-border incidents in recent years.
