‘Premeditated operation with state support': Kapil Sibal on Pahalgam terror attack, calls for Pakistan to be declared terrorist state

NEW DELHI: Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, calling it a "carefully planned and heinous act" and urged the Indian government to take the matter to the international stage.
Sibal demanded that Pakistan be officially designated as a terrorist state and those responsible for the killings be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court.
"This is not just an act of madness or insanity, it was a premeditated operation with state support. I urge the home minister to proscribe Pakistan as a terrorist state under our law and move the ICC for prosecution," said Sibal, who added he would support such a move “without hesitation”.

He said, “I am sure that the entire opposition, at least I will stand by the Prime Minister and the home minister. And I am sure the opposition will do that too.”
Analysing the attack, Sibal said the location, the Baisaran Valley above Pahalgam, was strategically chosen. “You can’t reach there by car, only ponies. So, security response would naturally be delayed. The place was filled with non-locals. Terrorists separated men from families before opening fire. That wasn’t random, it was a well-planned targeting,” he said.
Citing intelligence reports, Sibal claimed the attackers may have infiltrated from Kishtwar and were affiliated with the Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
He linked the assault to a recent statement by Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir, who called Kashmir Pakistan's “jugular vein.” “When the Army Chief says this and a Pakistan-based group carries out the killings, it is clearly state-sponsored terrorism,” said Sibal.
“Those responsible for this should be prosecuted in the International Criminal Court as is sought to be done by some other heads of state”, he further said.
The Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of at least 28 people, primarily tourists, has triggered nationwide outrage and grief.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a high-profile state visit to Saudi Arabia, cut his trip short and returned to Delhi early Wednesday morning. Upon arrival, he chaired a high-level meeting at Palam Airport with senior officials including external affairs minister S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval.
The Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police have launched a large-scale search operation in and around the Baisaran meadow of Anantnag district, where the attack took place.
Meanwhile, candlelight vigils and protest marches have been held across Baramulla, Srinagar, Kupwara, and other parts of the Union Territory, with residents condemning the act and demanding justice for the victims.