The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has established a direct Pakistan link to the Pahalgam terror attack of 22 April 2025, in which 26 people were killed, according to findings detailed in the agency's chargesheet. Investigators concluded that the operation was planned, staged, and executed from Lahore by Saifullah, also known as Sajid Jatt or Langde, a senior operative of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT).

How the Attack Was Orchestrated

According to the NIA's findings, the groundwork for the assault began in the days before 22 April. On 15 and 16 April, three Pakistani nationals — Faisal Jatt alias Suleiman, Habib Tahir alias Chhotu, and Hamza Afghani — were reportedly sent by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba to conduct a reconnaissance of Baisaran Valley, mapping security arrangements ahead of the strike.

During the attack itself, the operatives on the ground were provided real-time information including coordinates and logistical data, according to investigators. Two Pakistani nationals, Bashir Ahmed and Parvez, were identified as local facilitators who assisted the attackers.

Telegram Channels Traced to Pakistan

The NIA's chargesheet identifies two Telegram channels used to guide and claim the attack. The channel 'Kashmir Fight' was traced to the Battagram area in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). A second channel, 'The Resistance Front_OfFcial', was found to be operating from Rawalpindi. Physical evidence recovered from attackers killed during Operation Mahadev corroborated these findings — one mobile phone had been purchased online and delivered to an address in Lahore's Qaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate, while a second was procured from Karachi.

Pakistan's Propaganda Reversal

A clear pattern emerged in the aftermath of the attack, according to officials familiar with the investigation. The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, initially claimed responsibility via the 'Kashmir Fight' Telegram channel. However, as international condemnation mounted and it became apparent that the Narendra Modi government was preparing a strong military response, the outfit abruptly withdrew its claim, alleging its channel had been hacked.

Officials say the Pakistani establishment had anticipated a propaganda dividend from the attack but was caught off-guard by the scale of India's response. The withdrawal of the claim was followed by what investigators describe as a 'false flag narrative' — an attempt to attribute the attack to other actors and sever any visible Pakistan link.

Asim Munir's Statements and the Ideological Context

Investigators pointed to remarks made by Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir in the days before the attack as providing ideological framing. At an Overseas Pakistanis Convention, Munir had stated: 'Kashmir is our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein and we will not forget it.' He also invoked the two-nation theory and explicitly highlighted differences between Hindus and Muslims, according to officials. Munir had separately warned that three wars had been fought for Kashmir and 'if need be, then ten more would be fought.'

Officials characterised these statements as aimed at inciting violence and said they served as the ideological platform for the Pahalgam attack. Notably, despite Munir's public posturing about war-readiness, officials say Pakistan's military proved unwilling to sustain any confrontation once India signalled a doctrine shift — treating cross-border terror as an act of war rather than a law-enforcement matter.

India's Response and What Comes Next

India responded with Operation Sindoor, during which significant terror infrastructure belonging to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Hizbul Mujahideen was reportedly destroyed. The NIA chargesheet, which names Saifullah as the principal handler, is expected to form the basis of India's diplomatic and legal case against Pakistan-based terror networks. The investigation remains ongoing, with further identifications anticipated.