Pakistan-Based Terror Handlers Exposed in NIA Pahalgam Attack Chargesheet

The Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit of the Jammu and KashmirPolice conducted pre-dawn searches at multiple locations across the Kashmir Division on Tuesday as part of an ongoing terror-related investigation.

Earlier, security forces engaged in an encounter with terrorists in the Sohan area of Udhampur district. White Knight Corps in a post on X said “In an intelligence-based operation, SOG J-K Police and alert troops of the Indian Army established contact with terrorists in the general area of Sohan, Udhampur District. Fire was exchanged with terrorists.”

This development comes a day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a detailed chargesheet in the Pahalgam terror attack case. The chargesheet names Pakistani handler Sajid Jatt and six others, including members of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxy organization, The Resistance Front (TRF), in connection with the attack carried out on April 22 that targeted 26 individuals, including tourists and a local civilian.

The 1,597-page NIA chargesheet, submitted before the NIA Special Court in Jammu, highlights Pakistan’s role in sponsoring terrorism in India and details the planning, facilitation, and execution of the attack. The chargesheet also mentions the three Pakistani terrorists Faisal Jatt (alias Suleman Shah), Habeeb Tahir (alias Jibran), and Hamza Afghani who were killed during Operation Mahadev in Dachigam, Srinagar, in July 2025.

The NIA has charged the LeT, TRF, and the four terrorists under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the Arms Act, 1959, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, including sections pertaining to waging war against India.

The investigation, conducted over nearly eight months, traced the conspiracy back to Pakistan, which has continued to sponsor terror activities against India. Two local men, Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, arrested on June 22 for harboring terrorists, have also been charge sheeted. During interrogation, they revealed the identities of the three armed attackers and confirmed their Pakistani nationality and affiliation with the proscribed LeTorganization.

During interrogation, the two men revealed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack and confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals linked to the banned LeT terrorist organization. In the Pahalgam attack, carried out by these Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, 25 tourists and one local resident were shot dead.

Also Read: Pahalgam Attack Mastermind Traced to Pakistan Based LeT Offshoot