The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has concluded that all three terrorists involved in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit. This revelation follows the arrest of two Kashmiri residents who allegedly provided food, shelter, and logistical support to the attackers.
According to officials, the terrorists had visited the homes of Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar in Pahalgam days before the attack and were harboured at a seasonal dhok (hut) in Hill Park. “They came on the evening of April 20, requested food, paid some money, and warned the hosts not to inform anyone,” said a source familiar with the investigation. The NIA has arrested the duo under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The breakthrough contradicts the initial narrative by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who had released sketches of three suspects — two Pakistani nationals and one believed to be a local. NIA sources now assert that the individuals in those sketches were misidentified and not involved in the Pahalgam attack.
Investigators believe one of the attackers was Suleiman Shah, previously linked to the killing of seven tunnel construction workers in October 2024. His name has also surfaced in other high-profile cases, including attacks on Army personnel in Kulgam and Jammu’s Poonch district.
Over 200 individuals, including pony operators, shopkeepers, and photographers, were questioned in the course of the investigation. Visual identification of the attackers was further corroborated by local witnesses after central agencies showed them previously unreleased photographs found on the phone of a deceased militant.
The NIA is now cross-referencing ballistic data from earlier attacks to build a comprehensive case against the trio. The agency emphasized that its findings reinforce the cross-border origins of terrorism in Kashmir and expose Pakistan’s continued use of non-state actors to destabilize the region.
