India–Pakistan Ceasefire and Pakistan’s Longstanding History with Terrorism
On the evening of May 10, 2025, India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire to halt escalating military engagements across land, air, and sea. The agreement, mediated by the United States, was hailed as a potential de-escalation in the volatile India-Pakistan conflict. However, within hours, Pakistan reportedly violated the ceasefire, reigniting tensions and underscoring the persistent challenge of trust due to Pakistan's long-standing ties to terrorist organizations.
Ceasefire Agreement: A Fleeting Hope
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri revealed that the ceasefire was formalized after a call at 3:35 PM on May 10 from Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to India's DGMO. Both sides agreed to cease all firing and military actions by 5:00 PM, covering land, air, and sea operations. The announcement first gained public attention through a social media post by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed that the United States facilitated overnight negotiations, resulting in a "full and immediate ceasefire."
Trump's post highlighted the U.S.'s role in mediating the talks, stating, "After intense discussions, India and Pakistan have agreed to a complete cessation of hostilities." However, the optimism was short-lived as reports emerged of Pakistan violating the ceasefire within hours. While exact details of the violations remain unclear due to conflicting reports, Indian officials emphasized that Pakistan's history of duplicity and support for terrorism makes such breaches unsurprising.
Operation Sindoor: India's Precision Strike on Terror
The ceasefire followed India's Operation Sindoor, a targeted military operation launched in response to a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, claimed by the Pakistan-based Terrorist Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of the notorious Lashkar-e-Taiba. The attack, which targeted innocent tourists, prompted India to conduct precision strikes on nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Key targets in Operation Sindoor included:
- Muridke's Markaz-e-Taiba: The headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba, led by Hafiz Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist since 2008 with a $10 million U.S. bounty.
- Bahawalpur's Markaz Subhan Allah: The base of Jaish-e-Mohammed, led by Masood Azhar, listed as a terrorist by the UN in 2019.
- Muzaffarabad's Sadna Bilal Camp: A training ground for Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed recruits, operated by Pakistan's Special Forces.
- Muzaffarabad's Sawai Nala Camp: The site where terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack were trained.
- Five additional sites serving as initial induction centers, indoctrination hubs, or training camps for terrorist activities.
The briefing emphasized that the strikes were conducted at night to avoid civilian presence, ensuring no damage to civilian infrastructure or loss of civilian lives. "All nine terrorist camps were successfully destroyed, with locations carefully selected to avoid collateral damage," the statement read.
Pakistan's Retaliation: A "Cowardly" Attack on Civilians
In response to Operation Sindoor, Pakistan allegedly retaliated by shelling civilian villages along the Line of Control (LoC). The city of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir was heavily impacted, with unprovoked firing, mortar attacks, and shelling targeting residential areas. The assault resulted in 16 civilian deaths and 59 injuries, of which 44 were civilians.
Among the tragic losses were 12-year-old twins Zain and Zoya, killed when a shell struck their home. Their father, Ramiz Khan, was injured and remains hospitalized. Another resident, Harsharan Singh, recounted the death of his friend Rizwan's children, aged 12 and 14, when a shell hit their vehicle. A photograph published in The Independent captured the twins' final moments, holding their father's hand as they sought safety, only to be killed by another explosion.
"A military that deliberately targets innocent civilians and children in full consciousness must be labeled terrorist," an official declared, accusing Pakistan's government and military of endorsing terrorism.
Pakistan's Denial and Mounting Evidence
Pakistan's leadership, including Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, has denied supporting terrorist groups. In an interview with Sky News, Asif claimed that Lashkar-e-Taiba is "extinct" in Pakistan, dismissing TRF's claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack as outdated. However, substantial evidence contradicts these assertions:
- Satellite Imagery: Analysis by Jio Intelligence Researcher Damien Simon for India Today revealed that Jaish-e-Mohammed's Bahawalpur base has doubled in size since 2011, now spanning 18 acres. Construction accelerated after Pakistan's removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2022.
- French Media Report: A December 2024 article in Sceptical Dumon by Editor-in-Chief Antoine Colona cited Planet Labs satellite photos showing Jaish-e-Mohammed's Markaz Subhan Allah and Usman-o-Ali Masjid in Bahawalpur as active indoctrination and training hubs, located just 8 km from a Pakistani military base.
- Photographic Evidence: A photo obtained by The Print showed Abdul Rauf, brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar, leading funeral prayers for deceased terrorists, with Pakistani military personnel present and coffins draped in Pakistan's flag.
- Children's Magazine: The Print uncovered a Jaish-e-Mohammed children's magazine, Musalman Bacche, promoting jihad to 600 madrasa students, further evidencing indoctrination efforts.
Narcotics-Terrorism Nexus
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) informed India's Supreme Court that a 2021 seizure of over 2,900 kg of heroin at Mundra Port, valued at ₹21,000 crore, was part of Lashkar-e-Taiba's narco-trafficking strategy. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati explained that the drugs, smuggled from Afghanistan via Iran with Pakistan's ISI involvement, aimed to weaken India's youth while funding terror activities.
A retired customs official linked to the case was found dead under suspicious circumstances, raising concerns of foul play. In response, Adani Ports and SEZ Limited announced in October 2021 that it would stop handling container cargo from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran starting November 15. However, a Maritime Gateway report noted that this decision was reversed within a month.
Pakistan's Troubled History with Terrorism
Pakistan's support for terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed traces back to the 1980s, during the U.S.-led Afghan war against the Soviets. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan admitted in 2019 that jihadist outfits have operated in Pakistan since that era, while Defense Minister Asif acknowledged on Sky News that Pakistan conducted "dirty work" for the U.S. and Western allies for three decades, a "mistake" that caused suffering.
Despite claims of reform, reports indicate ongoing complicity:
- Hudson Institute (2022): Lashkar-e-Taiba, operating as Jamaat-ud-Dawa, aligns with Pakistan's security establishment and is used to counter Baloch insurgents and the Islamic State in Balochistan.
- Financial Action Task Force (FATF): Pakistan was placed on FATF's grey list three times, most recently in June 2018, for terror financing and money laundering. After promising reforms, it was removed in October 2022, but evidence suggests a resurgence of terrorist activity.
- Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP): The TTP, responsible for the 2014 Peshawar school attack that killed 132 children, has claimed over 80,000 lives in Pakistan over two decades.
Pakistan's Internal Crisis
Pakistan's complicity in terrorism has exacerbated its internal instability. The 2024 Global Peace Index ranks Pakistan 140th out of 163 countries, reflecting severe insecurity. The Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies reported 905 terror incidents in 2024, a 40% increase from the previous year, with 444 Islamist attacks killing 685 security personnel and 927 civilians.
Economic desperation has led to humanitarian tragedies. In March 2023, a stampede in Karachi over free food distribution during Ramadan killed 11 people, including five women and three children. A similar incident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Charsadda resulted in one death and eight injuries during a free flour distribution.
Pakistan's political landscape is equally chaotic, with no prime minister completing a five-year term. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, currently imprisoned, has reportedly faced torture, and elections are widely criticized as unfair.
A Call for Accountability and Reform
The ongoing crisis demands introspection from Pakistan's citizens. Analysts urge public figures like actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan to challenge the government and military's support for terrorism. "Why is Pakistan becoming a terrorist state? Why does the military back these organizations?" are questions that must be asked, experts argue.
The international community is encouraged to pressure FATF to reinstate Pakistan on its grey list. Indian officials maintain that India, a status quo power focused on economic growth and technological advancement, seeks no conflict with Pakistan.
"India wants nothing from Pakistan except to be left alone," stated Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
As the ceasefire collapses and terrorism persists, the path to peace requires Pakistan to dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, end religious fanaticism in politics, and prioritize its citizens' welfare. Without these reforms, the region risks further instability, with dire consequences for both nations.
