Pakistan's 1st reaction to Pahalgam terror attack, denies link, calls it 'home grown'

Pakistan, in its first reaction to the Pahalgam terror attack, has claimed that it has "nothing to do" with the incident, adding that, the country also "rejects terrorism in all its forms".

In a statement, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, "Pakistan has no link with the Pahalgam terror attack."

We have absolutely nothing to do with it. We reject terrorism in all its forms and everywhere, says Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on the #Pahalgam attack.#pahalgamattack pic.twitter.com/qGiTz6uVOn

— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) April 23, 2025

He said the attack was a reaction of those against the Central government in India, from Nagaland to Kashmir, including the unrest in Manipur, and the attack was "home-grown".

"The Central government in India is facing protests in many states, including Nagaland, Manipur, Kashmir, and Chhattisgarh. This is home-grown as the government is exploiting many," adding that: "We do not support terrorism in any form, and locals should not be a target for terrorists, and we have no doubt about it."

"However, if local forces are targeting the Indian government, it becomes easy to target Pakistan," Asif said.

The statement came less than 24 hours after a deadly terror attack at Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district which left 26 people dead, mostly tourists.