Sajid Jatt was the mastermind of Pahalgam attack, who are the seven accused in NIA’s 1597 page charge sheet?

Happened in Baisaran valley of Pahalgam terrorist attack This was not just one day’s violence, but was the result of a conspiracy hatched over months, the aim of which was to target the peace, tourism and social fabric of Kashmir. This attack on April 22 shocked the entire country, when armed terrorists selectively targeted tourists and once again turned the valley red with blood.

After about eight months, the 1597-page charge sheet of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) reveals the layer-by-layer story of this attack. This charge sheet is not just an allegation, but is a document of the terrorist planning hatched from Pakistan, in which the role of Lashkar-e-Taiba, its front organization TRF and ISI has been systematically highlighted.

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Who is Sajid Jatt?

According to the charge sheet, Sajid Jatt is a notorious Pakistani handler and commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He used to control the operations of Lashkar and TRF in Kashmir while sitting in Pakistan. The NIA has described him as the main conspirator of the Pahalgam attack, whose role extended from planning to giving instructions to the terrorists and digital propaganda after the attack. Sajid Jatt has already been named in many terrorist cases, his name even appeared in the charge sheet of 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Joint planning of ISI-Lashkar

According to NIA, this attack was part of a joint conspiracy between ISI and Lashkar on the lines of 26/11. ISI had given clear instructions that only foreign i.e. Pakistani terrorists should be used in the attack, so that the involvement of any local Kashmiri does not come to light and the suspicion on Pakistan’s role is reduced. Under this strategy, terrorists were sent from across the border and tourists were chosen as targets.

Who are the seven accused?

A total of seven accused have been named in the charge sheet. Apart from Pakistani handler Sajid Jatt, three killed Pakistani terrorists Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habib Tahir alias Jibran and Hamza Afghani are included. All three were killed during Operation Mahadev in Dachigam Forest, Srinagar in July. Apart from these, two local accused Parvez Ahmed Jothar and Bashir Ahmed Jothar have been arrested on charges of providing shelter and logistics support to terrorists.

local support network

NIA investigation revealed that Parvez and Bashir provided accommodation, information about routes and necessary resources to the terrorists. During interrogation, both of them revealed the identity of the three terrorists involved in the attack and also admitted that they were Pakistani citizens associated with the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba. From this it became clear that the terrorists coming from across the border were being given help at the local level.

What else in the charge sheet?

In the 1597-page charge sheet, Lashkar-e-Taiba has been accused as a legal entity for the first time. Sections have been imposed on the accused under the Indian Justice Code, Arms Act 1969 and UAPA 1967. NIA has registered this case as a conspiracy to wage war against India, which is a matter directly related to national security.

Evidence proving Pakistan’s role

The investigating agency has presented many important evidences to prove Pakistan’s involvement. The two Android phones recovered from the Dachigam encounter site were purchased from Pakistan. Messages claiming responsibility and later denying the responsibility issued from TRF’s digital platform were traced and linked to Pakistan. According to NIA, Sajid Jatt was continuously giving instructions to terrorists from Pakistan and he had a central role in every phase of the attack.

What was the purpose of the attack?

NIA says that this attack was part of a larger conspiracy to derail the peace process and tourism in Kashmir. 25 Hindu tourists and one local citizen lost their lives in this attack. After this, India took strict action against terrorist bases in Pakistan and PoK through Operation Sindoor. The charge sheet makes it clear that the Pahalgam attack was not just a terrorist incident, but a well-planned strategy of cross-border sponsored terrorism, the face of which was revealed through handlers like Sajid Jatt.