The ongoing India-Pakistan military engagements expose Islamabad and its
military establishment’s doublespeak on terrorism and following the rules of armed conflict. This began with the attack on tourists in a popular meadows in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, and continues with the Pakistan Army and the country’s air force targeting civilian areas inside India, whose air defence systems neutralised most projectiles including
Fatah-II ballistic missile.It does not come as an overstatement when analysts say that Pakistan remains the biggest farce when it comes to the war on terror. Pakistan, firmly under the grip of its military establishment, doesn’t just support terror — it breeds it, preserves it, and serves as a reservoir for it. The irony comes to the fore when it portrays itself as a victim, even as it actively nourishes the very forces of terrorism, while it actually
faces a Frankenstein it created on its soil with the deep-cultivated hatred for India.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADStriking at the heart of Pakistan’s proxy war machineIndia’s Operation Sindoor — a targeted strike on terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — was a direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 innocent civilians. In truth, Pakistan should have seen this operation as a wake-up call, if not an act it ought to be grateful for. The strike hit at the core of the terror infrastructure festering on its soil.Click here for India-Pakistan LIVE UpdatesIt’s time the world stopped buying into Pakistan’s double game—pleading victimhood on one hand, while feeding the fangs of terror with the other.More from India
Escalation at LoC: Pakistan cross-fires for 12th night, Indian forces respond
‘Justice is served’: Indian Army on striking terror camps in Pakistan, PoK under Operation SindoorWhat did Operation Sindoor really hit?India didn’t strike civilian homes or military bases. It struck something far more integral to Pakistan’s identity — the sprawling network of
jihadist infrastructure that it has sheltered,
nurtured and exported for decades. These weren’t just buildings. They were monuments to Pakistan’s long-standing obsession with proxy war.Here’s what got flattened:1. Markaz Subhan Allah – Jaish-e-Mohammed’s crown jewel, BahawalpurRight off NH-5 in Bahawalpur sat the brain of Jaish-e-Mohammed’s terror machine. Spanning 15 acres, this wasn’t just a training ground—it was the epicentre of radicalisation, where young men were turned into human bombs. Pulwama? That carnage had roots here. Also home to the terror dynasty—Masood Azhar and his kin. It wasn’t just a facility, it was the family business HQ, the Times of India reported..2. Markaz Taiba – Lashkar-e-Taiba’s fortress, MuridkeMore than 80 acres of LeT’s ideological and operational womb—Markaz Taiba is where the real syllabus isn’t math or science, but jihad, hatred, and Kalashnikovs. Even Osama Bin Laden chipped in with Pakistani Rs10 million to help build its mosque. A terror complex complete with madrassas, markets, homes, sports fields and farms. A whole town for terrorists.3. Mehmoona Joya – Hizbul Mujahideen’s gateway, SialkotHidden behind a government hospital, this site is a masterclass in deception—an infiltration hub feeding Hizbul Mujahideen operatives into Jammu. Trained, armed and dispatched by ISI’s invisible hand, this spot was key to slipping jihadists across the border under Pakistan’s official gaze.4. Markaz Ahle Hadith – LeT’s Outpost, Barnala, PoKSTORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADRight at the doorstep of India’s Rajouri sector, this Markaz helped push LeT foot soldiers and arms into Kashmir. Its strategic location—just a few hundred metres from key roads—made it ideal for quiet infiltration and quick escapes. A terror transit point dressed up in religious garb.5. Markaz Abbas – JeM’s barracks, Kotli, PoKA stone’s throw from Kotli’s military base, this Markaz housed over 100 Jaish fighters on any given day. Situated in the heart of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, it stood as a bold testament to how comfortably terrorists operate next to Pakistan’s own military assets. Coincidence? Hardly.6. Maskar Raheel Shahid – Hizbul Mujahideen’s hidden cache, Kotli, PoKOne of Hizbul’s oldest training facilities, located deep inside Kotli’s rugged terrain, off any major road. Accessed only by dirt tracks, this was designed for secrecy. Here, Hizbul nurtured a new generation of militants under the radar—until it wasn’t under the radar anymore.7. Shawai Nalla Camp – LeT’s indoctrination pipeline, MuzaffarabadSTORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADRunning since the early 2000s, Shawai Nalla Camp served as the first stop for every LeT recruit. Recruited, trained and radicalised here, these young minds were reshaped into foot soldiers of jihad and sent into India. For years, this place ran undisturbed. Until now.A strike on terror, its backers but not on civiliansIndia’s Operation Sindoor did what Pakistan never dared to do on its own soil—strike at the heart of terrorism. But instead of acknowledging the cancer that had been growing within, Pakistan cried foul—claiming sovereignty was violated. The irony? This sovereignty has long been leased to terror syndicates. India took out the trash and Pakistan called it a robbery.Pakistan’s Operation Bunyan ul MarsoosNow, rattled and humiliated, Pakistan is lashing out. Operation Bunyan ul Marsoos was launched in retaliation. Drone attacks, ceasefire violations, even firing a Fatah-II missile intercepted in Haryana’s Sirsa—all desperate attempts to save face after losing its prized terror assets.Civilians bear the brunt of Pakistan’s escalationIn a sharp escalation of hostilities, the Pakistani Army has launched heavy cross-border shelling for the second night in a row, targeting areas along the International Border in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan.This renewed wave of aggression marks a significant uptick in military activity, with civilian areas bearing the brunt of the assault. Simultaneously, a surge in aerial intrusions has been reported, with 26 drone sightings recorded across a wide swath of northern India — from Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir to Bhuj in Gujarat. Many of these drones are suspected to be armed, raising concerns of imminent attacks on both civilian and military infrastructure.In response to the heightened drone threat, authorities enforced precautionary power blackouts across vulnerable zones to obscure targets and reduce visibility for incoming drones. Regions such as Akhnoor and Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, Ambala and Panchkula in Haryana, Firozpur in Punjab and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan were temporarily plunged into darkness. These measures are part of a broader defensive strategy aimed at neutralising airborne threats and safeguarding critical assets.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADAreas hit particularly hard by the ongoing shelling include Jammu, Samba, Pathankot, Udhampur and Tajouri. In one of the most tragic incidents so far, a senior officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services, Raj Kumar Thappa, was killed after a shell struck his residence in Rajouri early Saturday morning.Thapa was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Just a day ago, he had participated in an official online meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and had accompanied the Deputy Chief Minister during a district inspection. As of now, over 15 civilians have been confirmed dead, with many more injured due to relentless Pakistani shelling across border districts. With tensions mounting and the situation rapidly deteriorating, India remains on high alert, reinforcing border defences and bracing for the possibility of further provocations.In a briefing held on Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs said that Pakistan had targeted medical facilities in Srinagar, Avantipora and Udhampur during its response to Operation Sindoor. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said that the attacks were not limited to military installations but also included educational institutions and healthcare facilities. Among the locations hit were the IAF Station in Srinagar, the IAF Base in Avantipora, Kendriya Vidyalaya at AFS Avantipora and the Air Force School in Srinagar.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADPakistan’s burgeoning list of war crimesPakistan’s continuous shelling across the LoC and IB, which struck homes, religious sites and public infrastructure, has once again highlighted the volatile and lawless nature of the border region. These attacks were not the result of misfired artillery or accidental oversights—they were indiscriminate and deliberate acts targeting civilian areas.Such conduct demonstrates a
blatant disregard for international norms, particularly the protections laid out under international humanitarian law. The Geneva Conventions, especially the Fourth Convention which aims to protect civilians during conflict, explicitly forbid such actions.Articles 27 and 32 prohibit violence against civilians, including murder and torture, while Additional Protocol I reaffirms that civilians and non-military structures must not be targeted. Pakistan’s actions in Poonch clearly breach these principles and under Rule 156 of customary IHL and Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, such violations qualify as war crimes.India’s response, in contrast, focussed only on terror-related facilities in Pakistan and PakistanoK. These were precision strikes carried out under the right to self-defence, as stated in Article 51 of the UN Charter. The targets were militant bases that were directly linked to recent attacks on Indian soil.On the other hand, Pakistan keeps presenting itself to the world as a victim of terrorism, a claim that more and more countries are starting to question. Even US officials, including people from the
State Department, have publicly supported India’s view that Pakistan shelters and backs terrorist groups. Groups like LeT and JeM, even though they are internationally banned, have operated freely inside Pakistan for years.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADThis clear gap between what Pakistan says and what it does raises serious doubts about whether it truly wants to fight terrorism.At the heart of this contradiction is Pakistan’s idea of “strategic assets”—a belief held by its military and intelligence agencies that some terrorist groups can be used to influence other countries in the region. Because of this, Pakistan has followed a selective approach to fighting terror: it goes after groups like the TTP (which attack Pakistan itself), but turns a blind eye—or even gives support—to groups attacking India or Afghanistan.This double game has drawn long-standing international criticism. It was one of the main reasons why Pakistan was placed on the FATF grey list from 2018 to 2022. Even though Pakistan has now been removed from the list after making some changes, the experience hurt its reputation globally.The gap between Islamabad’s strong statements against terror and its softness—or even support—for militant activity has left the country more isolated and facing more accusations of backing terrorism. This could well be the time for the world to stop falling into the trap of Pakistan’s double-game. It cannot be both arsonist and firefighter. India struck at terror, Pakistan struck at civilians. The contrast couldn’t be clearer.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADTagsIndiaPakistanEnd of Article
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