Pakistan X Corps and the Continued Threat to Terrorism in Kashmir

The Pahalgam, Kashmir, terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, resulted in the deaths of 26 and injured several others, jolting Kashmir’s tenuous peace. The violence, perpetrated by the Resistance Front (TRF)—a front for Pakistan-sponsored Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—demonstrates Pakistan’s continued role in Kashmir’s bloodshed.

The attack took place close to the LoC, a region long dominated by Pakistan’s military intelligence. Despite India’s attempts to stabilize the region, Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorism continues to be a significant hurdle to peace.

Role of Pakistan’s X Corps in Kashmir’s Turmoil

Pahalgam attack highlights Pakistan’s strong ties with terror groups in Kashmir. Pakistan’s 12th Infantry Division, being a part of Pakistan’s X Corps, serves as an instrument for training and assisting infiltrators across the LoC. Logistic support is also provided by bases in northern parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for terrorists to get into India. Intelligence intercepts indicate that Pakistan’s military is also engaged in planning attacks, not as wayward elements but as a larger strategy to destabilize the area.

While the international community tends to overlook this military engagement, the facts are undeniable. Terror organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed act with tacit support from Pakistan’s military, employing Kashmir as a strategic weapon. Pakistan’s employment of proxy forces to further its territorial ambitions has turned it into a center for terrorism in the region. This support feeds violence and ensnares Kashmir in a cycle of conflict, keeping it from achieving lasting peace.

Pakistan’s Strategic Support for Terrorism

For decades, Pakistan has used terrorism as an instrument in Kashmir. The support of groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed by the military is at the heart of this policy. It is through this “proxy war” strategy that Pakistan can intimidate India without directly fighting it. By arming these entities, training them, and providing them with sanctuaries, Pakistan maintains Kashmir in chaos and prevents India from stabilizing the region.

Despite increased international acknowledgment of Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism, Islamabad still refuses to acknowledge its involvement in such operations. The attack on Pahalgam serves as another reminder of the human cost this policy exacts on India, and regional stability at large.

International Community’s Complicity

Although the international community has strong evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in terrorism, it is in most cases quite silent. Pakistan is usually spoken of as being a victim of terrorism, whereas it is a major perpetrator. This silence has enabled Pakistan to keep supporting terrorists with impunity. The world not condemning Pakistan is motivating the sustenance of such harmful policies.

International pressure on Pakistan to end its support for terrorism has been feeble. With no severe consequences, Pakistan’s deep state continues to employ terrorism as an instrument of statecraft. In the meantime, India pays the price for defending itself against these attacks. The Pahalgam tragedy emphasizes the imperative for stronger international denunciation of Pakistan’s role in encouraging terrorism.