New Delhi: A bearded man’s thunderous voice echoed through the microphone as he screamed “Sabiluna Sabiluna” at a rally in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The crowd of around 500 fervently responded with “Al Jihad Al Jihad”. This chilling scene unfolded at an event marking the so-called “Kashmir Solidarity Day” on February 5th, 2025 – a propaganda exercise by the Pakistan deep state.
This rally was a far cry from the PoJK of 1990, when the ISI had activated terror camps, recruiting and indoctrinating Mujahideen to infiltrate India and spark an armed movement that would ravage the Kashmir valley for decades. Fast-forward to 2025, and the scenario remains ominously familiar.
The event coincided with the fifth anniversary of India’s historic decision to nullify Article 370, a move that significantly altered the status quo in Jammu & Kashmir. The irony is palpable, as Pakistan continues to peddle its brand of propaganda, exploiting the Kashmir issue to fuel its geopolitical agenda.
Chaudhary Anwar-ul-Haq, the Prime Minister of Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK), sparked controversy by issuing a fresh call for jihad against India amidst chants of “Al-jihad” slogans.
Addressing the AJK Assembly, Haq hinted at Pakistan’s readiness to deploy a new batch of Mujahideen to infiltrate India’s Jammu & Kashmir, with the intention of perpetrating violence and waging war through terror groups.
In a provocative statement made in the presence of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Haq directly addressed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, warning that if the situation in Kashmir is not alleviated, militants will be unstoppable in crossing the Line of Control (LoC). This inflammatory rhetoric raises concerns about the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Pakistani leaders and their sponsored politicians in PoJK have attempted to create a narrative of human rights violations by India in Kashmir, often using outdated videos and graphic images. However, the reality is that since 2019, there have been no major incidents of stone-pelting or firing by security forces resulting in any casualties. Kashmir has also remained shutdown-free for five years.
There have been no hartal (strike) calls and the Pakistan ISI-funded separatists are not to be seen anymore.
Infiltration and terrorism persist, though, which is why Anwar-Ul-Haq’s statements should be considered in this context. Recently, a concerning development in PoJK saw Hamas representatives from Palestine share the stage with Jaish-e-Muhammad, surrounded by armed men with AK-47 rifles hanging from their shoulders.
This so-called “Kashmir Solidarity” conference raises questions about the growing connections between terrorist groups internationally.
One after the other the Jihadi terrorists on the stage spoke about the so-called cause of Jihad of Muslims globally against the US, Israel and India. The two groups together gave a call for Jihad against India in Kashmir.
The terrorists who had gone underground under the pressure of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) sanctions on Pakistan have resurfaced above ground with a renewed vigour and hateful zest to strike against India almost on a cue from their masters in Rawalpindi.
While Hamas may not pose a direct threat to India, the objective of Rawalpindi seems to be to internationalise the Kashmir issue again and make it seen together with global Muslim issues, especially in Gaza and Lebanon.
Pakistan wants to shift the winds of Muslim outrage from the conflict-ridden Middle East towards India by showing the cause of Palestine with Kashmir.
The Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir however isn’t just focused on perception management and crafting an international narrative for their strategic objectives against India. He wants to undo what his predecessor was aiming to achieve through a ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan – a temporary peace to a bloody strained relationship.
To a new wave of terror and violence for his domestic approval ratings which have fallen during the Imran Khan fiasco to increase. General Asim Munir wants to seal his contract longer as the CEO of the Pakistan Army enterprise by waving the Kashmir proxy war card which has almost never failed in Pakistan.
Pakistan Army Chief is also under considerable pressure on the western side with people in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) both causing bloodshed against the Frontier Corps and Pakistan security forces as well their death squads and militia.
An unprecedented number of attacks have occurred in Balochistan by the Baloch rebels killing several Pakistani soldiers.
The Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) also continues to attack Pakistan Army posts and Police Stations in KPK repeatedly. Pakistan’s strained border with the Taliban also causes considerable problems for the deep state.
On 25th February 2025, India and Pakistan will complete four years of an unprecedented ceasefire at the LoC in Jammu & Kashmir. That however seems to be changing ahead of the 2025 summer in the Indian subcontinent. Pakistan has twice violated the ceasefire by opening unprovoked firing on Indian posts on Feb 12th and Feb 17th.
The first ceasefire violation on Feb 12th in the Tarakundi area of Krishna Ghati sector happened a day after two Indian Army soldiers including a Captain were killed in action in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu.
On Feb 17th yet again Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing through small weapons in the morning in the Gulpur area of Poonch sector of the Pir Panjal valley.
“Ceasefire was a terrible blunder by Pakistan”, Pakistani journalist Nasim Zehra said while speaking on a popular prime-time show of Pakistani anchor Hamid Mir on February 5th.
“There should be continuous pressure on the Indian forces. Not status quo as there has been. Until there is a price tag attached to Indian forces and Indian Government, there won’t be clarity and Pakistan should support armed struggle (terrorism) in Kashmir against India” she declares.
In Pakistan today journalists like Nasim Zehra provide intellectual cover to Jihadi terror which has been sponsored by Rawalpindi – the Headquarters of the Pakistan Army. The real power centre of Pakistan today as it was in yesteryears. Pakistani society unfortunately continues to be radicalised under a leadership which is hardly in control of their security or economy, repeatedly failing to govern in the absence of democracy.
India should brace itself for a potential resurgence of Pakistani-backed jihadi terror in Jammu & Kashmir by summer 2025. Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir appears to be shifting focus away from domestic failures to Kashmir, possibly triggering a new wave of Pakistan’s proxy terror targeting Kashmiris.
