NEW DELHI: The former head of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Amarjit Singh Dulat, has described the Pahalgam attack as a clear failure of Indian security agencies.
In an interview with BBC Hindi, Dulat acknowledged the seriousness of the situation but ruled out the possibility of a full-scale war between India and Pakistan. He said that issues are expected to be resolved through talks as the only viable path forward.
“Yes, if a surgical strike is to be carried out, then it must be carried out, but when you talk about war, it is a war of nuclear weapons, so these things are just to scare people,” he said.
Amarjeet Singh further said, “We hear from all sides that war is going to happen now, but I say that war is the last bad option.”
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours escalated after gunmen attacked tourists in the Pahalgam area of occupied Kashmir on 22 April, killing 26 people and injuring 17.
India swiftly blamed Pakistan for the attack without presenting any credible evidence. Pakistan condemned the attack and strongly rejected the Indian government’s baseless accusations.
A day after the Pahalgam incident on 23 April, India’s Cabinet Committee on Security approved measures including the closure of the Wagah-Attari border crossing and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for an independent investigation into the incident.
Islamabad also warned that any attempt by India to stop or divert the Indus River waters would be considered an “act of war”.
Other ways to fix the situation
The former RAW chief said that the situation between Pakistan and India is currently somewhat bad, but there are other ways to fix it, such as back-channel talks.
Amarjeet Singh added that now even US President Donald Trump has said that their (India, Pakistan) disputes have been going on for years, and they will manage their situation.
He said, “According to my thinking, talks never end, someone, somewhere, and sometimes talks continue.”
Failure of Indian security agencies
In response to the question of whether the Pahalgam incident was a failure of security or intelligence, former RAW chief Amarjeet Singh Daulat said “Whatever happened in Pahalgam was due to the failure of security agencies because there was no security there.”
Pakistan warns Indian attack to face swift response
Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir on Thursday said that Pakistan remained committed to regional peace however, any military misadventure by India will be met with a “swift, resolute, and notch-up response”.
“Let there be no ambiguity: any military misadventure by India will be met with a swift, resolute, and notch-up response. While Pakistan remains committed to regional peace, our preparedness and resolve to safeguard national interests is absolute,” Army Chief General Munir stated as quoted by the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Pakistan conducts major military exercises
Pakistan Army on Thursday conducted large-scale military exercises demonstrating combat readiness and advanced firepower.
According to media reports citing security sources, the exercises involved live-fire demonstrations and were designed to deliver a robust response to any aggression by the adversary.
The exercise was meticulously designed to validate combat readiness, battlefield synergy, and the operational integration of cutting-edge weapon systems under near-battlefield conditions.
On Tuesday, the Pakistan Army had shot down two Indian quadcopters after they violated the country’s airspace along the LoC in two separate areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said.
The same day, Modi told his armed forces that they had the “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response to the terror attack”.
Friendly countries and global powers have urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, advising them to solve the matter through diplomatic engagement.
