India and Pakistan’s troubled ties risked taking a dangerous new turn on Friday as New Delhi accused Islamabad of harbouring militants behind one of the deadliest attacks in three decades of bloodshed in Indian-administered Kashmir. Local media reported that the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed Islamist group claimed responsibility, with the vehicles driven by a known local militant, Aadil Ahmad alias Waqas Commando.
India’s foreign ministry said that Jaish-e-Mohammed head Masood Azhar “has been given full freedom by… Pakistan to operate and expand his terror infrastructure in territories under the control of Pakistan and to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere with impunity”.
“I want to tell the terrorist groups and their masters that they have committed a big mistake. They have to pay a heavy price,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday after an emergency cabinet meeting. “If our neighbouring country thinks that it will succeed in creating instability through such acts and conspiracies in our country, they should stop dreaming,” Modi said, adding that the “blood of the people is boiling”.
Arun Jaitley, finance minister, promised all steps to “ensure the complete isolation from the international community of Pakistan of which incontrovertible evidence is available of having a direct hand in this gruesome attack”.