In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday presented a comprehensive 1,597-page chargesheet against seven individuals and entities for their alleged involvement in the deadly 22 April Pahalgam terror attack. The chargesheet, filed before a special NIA court in Jammu, meticulously outlines a conspiracy orchestrated from Pakistan.
Details of the Chargesheet and Accused
The anti-terror agency has named the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), as legal entities for planning, facilitating, and executing the brutal assault. A key Pakistani handler, Sajid Jatt, is also listed among the accused.
The document provides intricate details of Pakistan's conspiracy, the specific roles played by each accused, and presents supporting evidence gathered during the probe. It also invokes penal sections for waging war against India.
Identification of Attackers and Local Support
The chargesheet identifies the three Pakistani terrorists who carried out the attack and were later neutralised by the Indian Army on 29 July during Operation Mahadev in Srinagar's Dachigam area, 99 days after the incident. They are:
- Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah
- Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran
- Hamza Afghani
Furthermore, two local individuals, Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, arrested by the NIA on 22 June for harbouring the militants, have been chargesheeted. During interrogation, they revealed the identities and Pakistani nationality of the attackers, confirming their affiliation with the banned LeT.
Investigation Findings and India's Military Response
The NIA's nearly eight-month-long, meticulous scientific investigation traced the entire conspiracy back to Pakistan, which is accused of unabatedly sponsoring terrorism against India. The attack in Pahalgam district had resulted in the tragic death of 25 tourists and a local pony operator in what was a religion-based targeted strike.
In response to the attack, the Indian armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor', conducting missile strikes on multiple terror hideouts within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These strikes targeted Jaish-e-Mohammad's stronghold in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke.
This chargesheet marks a critical step in the legal process, aiming to bring to justice those responsible for the heinous act and exposing the cross-border terror infrastructure.
