New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday presented the full operational and inquiry timeline of the Pahalgam terror attack, stating that justice had been served with the successful neutralisation of the terrorists behind Pahalgam attack in the recent Operation Mahadev.
Participating in the discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha, Shah briefed that Operation Mahadev reached its peak on July 22, when monitoring sensors detected “conclusive evidence” of the presence of terrorists in a wooded area near Harwan, on the outskirts of Srinagar.
“A coordinated operation was launched”. Led by the Indian Army’s 4 Para SF, 24 Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF units, and Jammu and Kashmir Police, they surrounded the terrorist hideout,” the minister added.
During the ensuing shoot-out, three militants—Suleiman Shah, Afghan, and Jibran—were killed. Shah said these three were behind the April this year’s deadly terror attack on innocent civilians in Pahalgam of South Kashmir. “These men were behind the killings of innocent lives,” he asserted, while crediting local informants for their role. “Five human assets played a key role in this intelligence-based operation,” he disclosed.
Shah, nevertheless, conceded that the authorities exercised restraint before reaching any conclusions. He added that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had previously arrested suspects who had given food and shelter to the terrorists. “These suspects assisted us in tracing the network. When terrorists arrived in Srinagar, they were identified by four witnesses. These three men were the culprits of the Pahalgam attack,” Shah said.
Shah explained in graphic detail how forensic evidence closed the case. “Even then, we did not act in a rush. We waited for forensic verification. The ballistic report was drawn up by Chandigarh Central FSL, and it was drawn from evidence gathered from the Pahalgam crime scene,” he said.
“When these three terrorists were eliminated yesterday, three rifles were recovered—one M4 carbine and two AK-47 rifles.” Bullets also fired from the attack location were similar to M4 and AK-47 signatures,” he added.
Shah also provided information regarding the probe conducted by the NIA, which was entrusted with the case the moment Lashkar-e-Taiba and its proxy group, The Resistance Front (TRF), owned up to it. “Its conviction rate is over 96 per cent,” Shah claimed. “We interrogated 1,055 people, whoever was around or near the scene of the crime—shopkeepers, photographers, labourers for a day, locals. Over 3,000 hours of video were seen, all digitally captured.
Two men, Parvez and Basir, who had surrendered a day after the attack, were detained for harbouring the terrorists. “Parvez said that on April 21 at 8 p.m., three terrorists came to his residence. They carried an AK-47 and an M4 carbine. Two were dressed in black, and one was in disguise,” Shah added. Forensic evidence procured from their hideout was identical to evidence from the Pahalgam crime scene.
Shah said that he had met the families of the victims of the attack. “That moment still scares me. But today I wish to assure those families—the Modi government has taken revenge for the attack. The terrorists responsible for the killings were neutralised in a quick and targeted operation,” he said.
Beginning his address by taking a jibe at political attacks, Shah stated, “On the same day that the terror attack took place, a high-level meeting on security was conducted in Jammu and Kashmir. Let me ask you: who participated in the meeting? Did anyone from your side attend? Only Rahul Gandhi decided to attend. I do not know how you’re looking at me or how you’re trying to represent the facts.”
Targeting the Opposition, Shah said he was dismayed at their response to the success of the encounter. “I had hoped that upon hearing news of our troops eliminating the terrorists, you would rejoice. But it appears you have become blind to your politics. What sort of politics is this?”
Referring to a controversial remark by former Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Shah said, “He questioned the very origin of the terrorists. He asked, ‘What is the proof that they came from Pakistan?’ At a time when unity and resolve were required, such questions not only demoralise our security forces, they also strengthen the narrative of our enemies.”
Shah also called for national unity on a wider scale. “We are in the government, so the responsibility rests with us. We assume that. But I want to ask—while you were in power, what did you do? Why didn’t you deliver justice during your term?