NEW YORK: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is aggressively seeking international support to justify possible military action against Pakistan after a shooting incident in the Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the New York Times has reported.
The report said the prospect of a volatile confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours is growing.
At least 26 people were killed and 17 others were injured after gunmen opened fire on visitors in the Pahalgam area of Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for an independent investigation into the incident.
The NYT in its report said Narendra Modi, belonging to the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has urgently contacted more than a dozen world leaders and summoned envoys from more than 100 foreign missions to the Ministry of External Affairs for high-level briefings.
Diplomatic sources cited by the New York Times said the Indian effort appears focused not on de-escalating tensions, but on building international backing for potential military action.
The report said the situation in the region remains “volatile”, noting that in Kashmir, Indian forces have also begun a sweeping clampdown, arresting hundreds, as they continue their hunt for the perpetrators.
The report said India has not officially identified any group as having carried it out, nor has New Delhi publicly presented any evidence to support its claim that Pakistan was behind the incident. The Pakistani government has denied involvement.
The lack of strong evidence offered so far, analysts and diplomats, cited by the Times, pointed to one of two possibilities: that “India needs more time to gather information about the attack before striking Pakistan, or that — in a time of particular chaos on the world stage — it feels little need to justify to anyone the actions it plans to take.”
The Indian government is under pressure to respond to a major security lapse in a troubled area that it was projecting as transformed in recent years and where it has been encouraging tourism, according to the report.
Without naming Pakistan, Modi in a speech vowed severe punishment and pledged to raze “terror safe havens.”
A military confrontation between India and Pakistan, both armed with nuclear weapons, runs the risk of rapid escalation that could be difficult to contain, the Times said.
“But India is largely unrestrained by any global pressure to limit its response, and it has become quicker to flex its muscles in recent years as its diplomatic and economic power has grown.”
On Wednesday, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, closed the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic relations, and cancelled visas issued to Pakistani nationals.
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In response, Pakistan on Thursday expelled Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelled visas for Indian citizens—except for Sikh pilgrims—and closed its side of the main land border crossing.
Islamabad also warned that any attempt by India to stop or divert the Indus River waters would be considered an “act of war”.
Anti-Muslim sentiment is reportedly intensifying across India, with Kashmiri students facing harassment in other Indian cities and many returning to their homes, according to the New York Times.
The Trump administration has voiced strong backing for India’s counter-terrorism efforts.
US President Donald Trump has described himself as friendly to both India and Pakistan but has not indicated any immediate mediation efforts.
“They will figure it out,” the US president told reporters while onboard Air Force One last week.
