The brutal April 22, 2025 terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam has reignited concerns over the fragility of peace in Jammu and Kashmir and the enduring challenge of cross-border terrorism. India’s World spoke with Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Army’s Northern Command, and a key architect of India’s 2016 surgical strikes, to assess the road ahead. As tensions once again flare along the Line of Control (LoC) and political ties between India and Pakistan deteriorate, questions around deterrence, escalation, and counter-radicalisation take centre stage. In this interview, Gen D.S. Hooda reflects on India’s options in the wake of the Pahalgam Attack.
Manu Sharma: What makes the developing crisis between India and Pakistan different from past clashes? The Pahalgam attack challenges the narrative of normalcy in Kashmir. Do you think a military response is necessary to restore deterrence against such terrorist attacks?
Gen D.S. Hooda: In some ways, it’s different; in others, it’s quite familiar. The underlying strategy from Pakistan using terror groups to launch attacks within Indian territory (particularly in Jammu and Kashmir) remains largely unchanged. It’s the same playbook: infiltrate terrorists into India to carry out strikes.
What is different this time is the nature and brutality of the targeting. While civilians have unfortunately been targeted before, the deliberate and calculated manner in which unarmed tourists were singled out, reportedly asked their religion, and then shot in front of their families is particularly shocking. The sheer brutality, and the way it was executed, marks a disturbing escalation. This wasn’t the work of a rogue local group that happened upon a group of tourists. It appears to have been planned with the intent to provoke and possibly even sow communal discord between Hindu and Muslim communities.
So, while the method of cross-border terrorism is familiar, the intent and execution signal a shift.
As for a military response, whether it is necessary or not is ultimately for the government to decide. That said, the government has already initiated diplomatic measures, some of which have been quite impactful. For example, summoning the relevant diplomats and issuing strong statements. These are significant steps.
However, if the goal is to restore deterrence and signal to Pakistan that such actions come at a cost, then the use of military force would certainly be on the table. What form it takes is not for me to determine, but based on precedent in 2002, 2016, and 2019—when India responded militarily to terror attacks—it seems a realistic possibility.
MS: Knowing that any military response is likely to provoke a reaction from Pakistan, like in 2019, does it make sense to focus on non-kinetic responses, such as the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, to prevent further escalation?
