Written by: Dr. Shujaat Ali Quadri
The latest NatStrat publication, “Chronology of Pakistani Terror Attacks on India (1947–2025)”, edited by Dr. Swati Arun and guided by NatStrat Advisor Mr. Shantanu Mukharji (IPS) former NSA to Prime Minister of Mauritius, and Convener Ambassador Pankaj Saran, stands out as one of the most exhaustive and authoritative chronicles of Pakistan-backed terrorism ever compiled in the Indian strategic space. It is not merely a record it is a powerful reminder of how a neighbouring state institutionalised terrorism as an instrument of foreign policy, costing India tens of thousands of innocent lives over nearly eight decades.
The document meticulously maps the evolution of Pakistan sponsored terror from the tribal invasion of 1947 to the hybrid warfare of the 2020s presenting undeniable evidence, declassified accounts, and a rare insight into Pakistan’s military intelligence ecosystem. The level of detail reflects the strategic depth and analytical rigour brought in by experts like Mr. Shantanu Mukharji, one of India’s most respected counter terror veterans who has long studied Pakistan’s covert doctrines.
The report begins with Pakistan’s first act of aggression the tribal invasion of Jammu & Kashmir in 1947, exposed through admissions from Pakistani officers themselves, including Major General Akbar Khan. The document illustrates how this was not a spontaneous tribal uprising but a carefully planned military operation executed by Pakistan to forcibly annex Kashmir.
From the very birth of Pakistan, terrorism was not an aberration but a state sponsored strategy. The publication highlights Pakistan’s sustained efforts to destabilise India internally Like Support to insurgents in Northeast India (1960s), with ISI-run routes in East Pakistan feeding Mizo and Naga rebels, Operation Gibraltar (1965), a failed attempt to incite an uprising in Kashmir by infiltrating thousands of soldiers in civilian disguise & Khalistan movement (1970s–80s), showing the ISI’s deep involvement in arming, training, and ideologically indoctrinating Sikh extremist groups.
The NatStrat report is especially commendable for exposing the multi-decade project of Pakistan’s ISI to “bleed India with a thousand cuts” a strategy openly acknowledged by generals like Hamid Gul. It provides a rare, evidence backed narrative of how Pakistan exploited religious extremism, diaspora networks, foreign funding, and narcotics trade to fuel unrest in Punjab and Kashmir.
The report’s treatment of the 1990s insurgency in Kashmir is detailed and unsettling. It documents how Afghan war veterans, foreign jihadists, and Pakistan supported groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed used the porous LoC to re-engineer Kashmir’s socio-religious landscape. Training camps in PoK, recruitment pipelines, ideological radicalisation, and targeted killings all form part of this relentless terror architecture. The timeline of massacres, including Wandhama (1998), Chittisinghpura (2000), and others, brings to life the brutal human cost of Pakistan’s proxy war.
The document also covers key national traumas Such as 1993 Mumbai serial blasts enabled by ISI-linked D-Company logistics and RDX supply chains, IC-814 hijacking (1999) with hijackers identified as Pakistani nationals and ISI involvement openly acknowledged by Indian officials and 2001 Parliament attack a direct assault on Indian democracy orchestrated from across the border.
The clarity with which the report links these attacks to Pakistan’s military intelligence apparatus enhances its value to journalists, policymakers, security researchers, and students of South Asian geopolitics. The publication also gives a sharp account of post-2010 terror strikes, including, Pathankot (2016), Uri (2016), Pulwama (2019) & Pahalgam (2025). Each incident is documented with context, motivations, Pakistan’s involvement, and India’s calibrated responses.
This NatStrat report is not merely an academic exercise it is a historical document of national memory. It reminds readers that India’s fight against terrorism has been long, painful, and often lonely. The depth of research reflects the intellectual leadership of Mr. Shantanu Mukharji whose experience and insights clearly shaped this rigorous compilation. At a time when narratives around terrorism are often diluted, this publication stands firm as a fact driven, unambiguous reminder of Pakistan’s sustained sponsorship of terrorism on Indian soil.
As a reference document for journalists, scholars, and policymakers, NatStrat’s chronology is unmatched. It offers clarity, evidence, and historical continuity exposing Pakistan’s decades-long covert war against India while celebrating India’s resilience, diplomatic maturity, and counter terror successes.
This review enthusiastically recommends the document as essential reading for anyone seeking to understand South Asia’s security architecture and the enduring threat posed by Pakistan backed terrorism.
(The Author is the National Chairman of MSO, he writes on a wide range of issues, including, Sufism, Public Policy, Geopolitics and Information Warfare.)
