Jammu: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a comprehensive chargesheet exposing Pakistan’s direct involvement in the deadly Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, 2025, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists targeted on religious lines.
The 1,597-page document, submitted before a special NIA court in Jammu on December 15, names seven accused, including Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Sajid Jatt as the chief conspirator and handler.
A senior LeT operative from Kasur in Pakistan’s Punjab, Jatt – with a Rs 10 lakh bounty on his head – is accused of masterminding the assault, issuing directives, and coordinating with the attackers. He has been linked to prior strikes, such as the Reasi bus and Poonch IAF convoy attacks.
Also chargesheeted are three Pakistani terrorists – Faisal Jatt, alias Suleman Shah; Habeeb Tahir, alias Jibran; and Hamza Afghani – who executed the killings at Baisaran meadows before being neutralised in ‘Operation Mahadev’ in Srinagar’s Dachigam forests in July. Two local overground workers, Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, who were arrested in June for harbouring the militants, face charges for providing shelter and logistics.
LeT and its proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), are indicted as entities for planning, facilitating, and carrying out the conspiracy. The NIA invoked stringent provisions, including waging war against India under relevant laws.
This probe underscores Pakistan’s persistent sponsorship of cross-border terrorism, reinforcing calls for heightened vigilance in Jammu and Kashmir. Investigations continue as authorities pursue remaining threads in this grave threat to national security.