Leaving behind Pahalgam scars: A year after the attack, Kashmir tourism returns and deterrence evolves

A year after the attack, tourists have returned to Kashmir and most sites have reopened, with security protocols revamped to reassure visitors. The polarisation expected by the attackers did not take hold as people in Jammu and Kashmir and across India rallied against the attackers. Militarily, Operation Sindoor introduced a new deterrence paradigm, contributing to a decline in terror incidents in the Valley and reduced cross-border infiltration in the Chenab Valley. Pakistan is described as a garrison state facing multiple insurgent and nationalist challenges, with Asim Munir described as the de facto ruler after a bloodless coup. Islamabad is portrayed as a mediator in West Asia, but the gains remain uncertain. India is urged to secure borders, stay vigilant on internal security, and push for greater political empowerment in Srinagar to counter Pakistan’s broader objectives.

Operation Sindoor, launched two weeks after Pahalgam, restated India’s resolve against terrorism and changed its terms of engagement with Pakistan.

Security forces tracked down and killed three terrorists of Pakistani origin responsible for the Pahalgam massacre.

The Pahalgam terror attack occurred against a backdrop of near-normalcy returning to Jammu and Kashmir and rising public anger against the army in Pakistan. The attackers’ intent was to change the Kashmir narrative toward discord, create a communal cleft in India, and distract attention from Pakistan’s security establishment. Islamabad-Rawalpindi is described as having achieved its domestic aims, while India mourned the victims and pursued the perpetrators; security forces later killed three terrorists of Pakistani origin linked to the massacre.