New Delhi: On the 17th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the nation remembers the victims, survivors and security personnel who confronted one of India’s darkest nights. The coordinated assault, carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists, exposed the direct role of Islamabad in fomenting terror, especially after the capture of Ajmal Kasab confirmed involvement of Pakistan-based handlers.
A new report by NatStrat, a New Delhi-based research organisation, traces Pakistan-sponsored terror operations in India from Independence to the Pahalgam massacre in 2025. The document outlines 26 major incidents carried out by groups such as LeT, JeM and HuM, often supported by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). It highlights how Pakistan has used terrorism as a state policy, ranging from early infiltration and hijackings to suicide attacks, cross-border strikes, narco-terrorism and cyber warfare.
According to the report, the first wave of Pakistan-backed aggression occurred between 1947 and 1971, including efforts to incite rebellion in Jammu and Kashmir and full-scale wars in 1965 and 1971. The following phase, from 1972 to 1989, saw ISI-driven attempts to fuel the Khalistan movement and hijackings, including multiple Indian Airlines aircraft.
The 1990s and 2000s marked an escalation, with major attacks such as the 1993 Mumbai blasts, Kandahar hijack, Parliament attack (2001), Delhi blasts (2005), and the devastating 26/11 strike in 2008. More recent attacks — Pathankot, Uri, Nagrota, Pulwama and Pahalgam — underline Pakistan’s persistent attempts to target India’s security forces and destabilise the region.
