Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has claimed that three men killed in a recent gunfight in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) were responsible for the Pahalgam attack and were allegedly Pakistani nationals, citing the recovery of Pakistani voter ID cards and locally produced chocolates as evidence.

Speaking in parliament, Shah stated, “These were the terrorists who murdered our citizens, and now all three have been neutralized.” His remarks came during a broader discussion on the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

Background to the Pahalgam Attack

The trio allegedly opened fire on civilians in Pahalgam, a scenic tourist destination in IIOJK, before retreating into dense forests. The Indian army reported killing all three in an intense firefight.

New Delhi claims the attackers crossed over from Pakistan, a charge Islamabad strongly denies, calling the accusations politically motivated and unsubstantiated.

Following the attack, tensions rapidly escalated into a four-day conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations, which concluded with a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10. The brief war saw significant aerial losses for India, with six jets, including three Rafale fighters, reportedly downed during Pakistan’s retaliatory Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.

Indian Government Presents “Evidence”

In parliament, Shah said India had “ample proof” that the deceased militants were Pakistani, pointing to recovered voter identity cards and chocolates labeled as manufactured in Pakistan. Forensic tests, he added, confirmed that their rifles matched those used in a previous April assault.

Allegations of Fabricated Operations

However, reports emerging from Pakistani media and intelligence sources paint a different picture. According to Geo News, India has launched a new covert initiative dubbed Operation Mahadev — reportedly aimed at disguising recent military failures through staged encounters.

Security officials in Islamabad allege that Indian forces are recycling detainees held in local jails, killing them in fake clashes, and labeling them as cross-border infiltrators to support official narratives.

The initiative, critics argue, is designed to revive anti-Pakistan sentiment, suppress the ongoing Kashmiri resistance movement, and bolster the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration ahead of upcoming elections.

Ongoing Tensions and Regional Fallout

The latest allegations underscore the fragile nature of Indo-Pak relations, especially in the wake of military setbacks and heightened scrutiny of human rights violations in Kashmir. With both countries exchanging accusations and ramping up military rhetoric, observers warn that misinformation and propaganda may increasingly influence the narrative on both sides of the border.

While India insists it has credible proof of Pakistani involvement, questions remain over the transparency of the evidence and the timing of its disclosure — particularly as geopolitical pressure mounts and calls for independent investigation grow louder.