Pahalgam is a lapse, but no security or intelligence detail is foolproof: Ex-RAW chief AS Dulat

Pahalgam Terror Attack: While there was certainly a lapse in the Baisaran valley, located in South Kashmir’s famed tourist resort of Pahalgam, it would be instructive to remember that no security or intelligence is fool proof and perfect, says former RAW chief and India’s leading Kashmir specialist, AS Dulat.

"No intelligence or security detail is foolproof. If that was the case, Mrs Indira Gandhi would not have been assassinated, 9/11 could have taken place and more recently, Hamas would not have launched a surprise assault on Israel in October 2023,” Dulat told this reporter.

Some media reports have speculated about a possible intelligence failure in the case where 26 people were killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. All but one of them were Indian citizens. New Delhi swiftly pointed the finger at Pakistan, downgraded ties and suspended its participation in the crucial Indus Water Treaty between the two countries.

Certainly odd, but…

Nonetheless, how was it possible that there was no security detail for miles at a holiday destination in a state where the security cover is intense, particularly for VIPs? 

"It is certainly odd but if you look at the Anantnag district, the site of this massacre is not too far from the Amarnath yatra route, which is heavily guarded. Also, in the history of Kashmir, this holy yatra has not been disturbed by terrorists, save for 2017. So, I would say that such a killing is not just a shame but practically unprecedented,” he said.

The one major exception, Dulat acknowledged, was the Chittisinghpura massacre where 35 Sikh villagers were killed on 20 March 2000. Situated in the Anantnag district, the slaying took place on the eve of the US President Bill Clinton’s state visit to India. The massacre was a turning point in the history of a troubled Kashmir, where Sikhs had usually been spared terrorist violence.

The Baisaran killings came when the US Vice-President JD Vance was visiting India on a four-day trip.

Asked if there was a change of mind in Islamabad with the new army chief, Gen Asim Munir, spewing the Two-Nation theory publicly, Dulat said that appeared to be the case. `"His predecessor was much less of a hawk. It is unfortunate that the current army chief is speaking a language, which no one in a responsible position should do,” he said.

The Chief Minister and the Spy

A prolific author, Dulat is the first Indian spymaster to write a memoir entitled A Life in the Shadows, a book that was well received. He is also the author of two bestselling books, Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years (2014) and The Spy Chronicles: R&AW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace (2018). Dulat's views on India, Pakistan and Kashmir are well-known and sought after. This month, Dulat’s revelations in his new book, The Chief Minister and the Spy, have triggered a political storm in Kashmir.

Did he believe that the Pahalgam slaying could be a false flag operation staged by India, given state elections later this year and the rise of Hindutva forces, as some in Pakistan are claiming? According to Dulat, he expected Islamabad to say just that, but it was wide off the mark and totally incorrect.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to track down the killers and India must do it, even if they have slunk back into Pakistan. ``The killers should be hunted down in Kashmir if they are here or tracked down in Pakistan. We have the wherewithal,” Dulat said.

Was Pakistan ready to initiate another border skirmish, now that Kargil was a couple of decades old, Dulat said he could not offer a comment. ``You will need to ask the Pakistani Army that question,” he quipped.

Asked the way ahead in Kashmir, the former RAW chief said that Delhi and Srinagar need to be on the same page. `"While the Prime Minister and Chief Minister (Omar Abdullah) are coordinating well, it is also important to take the Kashmiris along. They should not feel alienated,” Dulat explained.