Overview

• Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar referred to the perpetrators of the April 22 Pahalgam attack as 'freedom fighters,' sparking widespread criticism.
• The Pahalgam attack, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), killed 26 people, marking the deadliest assault in the Kashmir Valley since 2019's Pulwama attack.
• Former cricketer Danish Kaneria criticized Dar's statement as disgraceful, calling it an admission of state-sponsored terrorism, and also condemned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's silence.
• Global leaders have strongly condemned the attack, intensifying scrutiny of Pakistan's stance on militancy and counterterrorism.
• The Resistance Front, affiliated with the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, has been identified as responsible for the massacre, further straining Pakistan's international reputation.