Pahalgam Attack: A Dark Day for Kashmir

The Baisaran Valley is often called the “Mini Switzerland” of Kashmir.
Rolling green meadows, misty pine forests, horses grazing freely — a beautiful paradise which deserves the title Kashmir, Jannat Nazeer.

On the morning of April 22, 2025, that paradise was shattered.

The early sunlight had just begun to break through the mist.
Tourists sipped tea by their campsites. Children chased one another through the fields.
For a moment, it seemed that perhaps — just perhaps — Kashmir could forget its wounds.

Then came the gunfire.

It was not the distant sound of war across the Line of Control.
It was close. Personal. Savage.

Masked gunmen emerged from the forest, armed with AK-47s and M4 carbines, opening fire at point-blank range.
In seconds, the meadows of Baisaran Valley — once symbols of peace — were soaked in blood.

26 innocent civilians lost their lives.
20 more were left clinging to life, their bodies torn apart, their families shattered.

The attackers did not choose randomly.
They reportedly separated victims — asking if they were Kashmiri locals or tourists.
This was not just an act of violence — it was a message soaked in hatred, division, and fear.

The Pahalgam attack was reportedly linked to the anger and political changes caused by the revocation of Article 370 in Indian controlled Kashmir in 2019.

Article 370

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution gave unique status to Jammu and Kashmir. The intention behind this was to allow it to be self-controlled, but unfortunately this was never the case.
It allowed Kashmir to have its own constitution, its own laws, and special protections — especially regarding land ownership and settlement. This meant that non-Kashmiris were not allowed to buy land or settle permanently there.

This was designed to protect the identity, culture, and demographics of Kashmiris.

However, In August 2019, India revoked Article 370. This meant that non-Kashmiris could legally buy land in Kashmir, Indian citizens from outside Kashmir could settle there permanently, new laws encouraged “outsiders” to move into Kashmir.

Many Kashmiris — even those who were not pro-Pakistan — felt this was an attack on their identity.
They feared they would become a minority in their own land — similar to what happened to Palestinians after Israeli settlements expanded.

It created deep resentment, anger, and tension across Kashmir

Kashmir’s Right to Self Determination

For over seven decades, the people of Kashmir have lived under uncertainty, conflict, and broken promises.
At the heart of their struggle lies a simple, universal demand: the right to self-determination — the right to choose their own future, free from force, fear, or foreign rule.

The United Nations itself recognised this right in multiple resolutions. Yet, year after year, the world turns a blind eye while Kashmir’s voice is silenced with violence.

Kashmir is not a battlefield.
Kashmir is a people — and every people have the right to decide their destiny.

We, at Kashmir Welfare Foundation, stand firmly for peace, justice, and the undeniable right of Kashmiris to determine their own fate.

According to initial claims, The Resistance Front (TRF) said the attack was a protest against the settlement of non-locals in Kashmir. They supposedly targeted tourists from mainland India, seeing them as part of what they called the “demographic invasion” after Article 370 was revoked.

They saw these tourists, not as tourists, but symbols of the political and demographic change that Article 370’s removal allowed. The attackers tried to send a violent, political message: “You are not welcome in Kashmir.”

Killing Innocent People Is No Justification

However, we want to make it clear that innocent civilians should never be targeted.

Violence against visitors does not protect Kashmir; it only increases suffering. We need independent investigations to find out who truly benefits from such chaos. Real Kashmiri interests are served by truth, peace, and justice — not random killings of innocent people.

The Pahalgam attack was politically influenced by the anger over Article 370’s revocation, because it changed land ownership and settlement rules in Kashmir — creating deep fear of demographic change among Kashmiris.

The Hidden Victims: Kashmiris on Both Sides

The world’s headlines focused on the diplomatic fallout:

• India suspended treaties.
• Pakistan retaliated with closures and sanctions.
• Airstrikes followed.
• Shelling along the Line of Control intensified.

But lost amid the political theater was the real story — the human story.
The story of the Kashmiri people, on both sides of the divide, who are suffering from intense shelling. One one side Kashmiri’s are suffering as a human shield by the Hindutva’s and on the other side or the line of control they are being attacked indiscriminately by the Indian armies for political gain and point scoring.

In Kotli, Bagh, and Muzaffarabad — the skies darkened with bombs.
In Pahalgam and Anantnag — the mountains echoed with gunshots.
From the north to the south, Kashmir bled.
And no one came to wipe away the tears.

Our Stand: A Call for Independent Investigation

At Kashmir Welfare Foundation, we believe the truth must be found — not manufactured, not assumed, but uncovered with integrity.

We are calling for a full, independent international investigation into the Pahalgam attack.

• Who planned it?
• Who carried it out?
• What was their real motive?

Kashmiris demand answers — not rumors, not propaganda.

We don’t care if the attackers wore one flag or another.
We don’t care if they spoke Urdu or Hindi or Kashmiri.
What we care about is that innocent blood was shed — and justice must be done.

Because when terror strikes Kashmir, it is not India that is attacked.
It is not Pakistan that is attacked.
It is Kashmir that is attacked.

And Kashmiris — whether from the valleys of Muzaffarabad or the mountains of Pahalgam — feel that pain as one people.

A Future for Kashmir

Today, Kashmir weeps. Kashmir mourns the innocent victims on both sides of the line of control.

But tomorrow, Kashmir must rise — not with hatred, but with a fierce commitment to truth, justice, and unity. We ask the world to stand with Kashmir — not just with words of sympathy, but with demands for transparency, accountability, and peace. We ask the world to stand with us and call for an independent investigation into what happened in Pahalgam. We ask the the world to call for an end to the bloodshed and violence that is being rained upon innocent Kashmiris.

Kashmir matters! And we can never forget that!
We owe it to every soul lost on that dark April morning.
We owe it to the hundreds that have been martyred on both sides of the line of control since the Pahalgam attack.
We owe it to Kashmir itself.

Stand with Kashmir in Their Darkest Hour

Right now, Kashmir is trembling under the weight of violence, fear, and suffering. Shelling rains down on villages. Families are displaced overnight. Innocent lives — especially children and the elderly — hang in the balance.

At Kashmir Welfare Foundation, we refuse to stand by in silence.

We have activated our Emergency Response Budget — a vital lifeline that allows us to act immediately when disaster strikes. Through this emergency fund, we are preparing to:

• Set up field hospitals to treat the wounded and save lives.
• Distribute hot meals to families who have lost everything.
• Deliver food packs to the most vulnerable, ensuring no family goes hungry tonight.

We don’t believe in exploiting crises.
We don’t chase headlines.
We act because it’s the right thing to do.
Because when Kashmir bleeds, our hearts bleed too.

This Emergency Budget wasn’t built for fundraising campaigns — it was built for moments like this.
Moments when hesitation costs lives.

Today, we ask you: be the difference.
Help us reach those who are cold, hungry, injured, and terrified.

Your donation to our Emergency Fund will go directly towards life-saving relief on the ground.

🌿 Donate today.
Be the light in Kashmir’s darkest hour.
Stand for humanity. Stand for Kashmir.

May Allah grant patience to the victims, wisdom to the leaders, and justice to the oppressed.
May He make Kashmir once again a land of peace, not a graveyard of dreams.
Ameen.