Following the brutal April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that claimed 26 innocent lives, former Pentagon official and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Michael Rubin, has called for decisive and uncompromising action by India against Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Speaking to media, Rubin drew parallels between the Pahalgam attack and the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, in which civilians were deliberately targeted.
“This was no different than the Hamas attack. It was calculated, directed against civilians enjoying peace. It’s now the duty of India to do to Pakistan and to Pakistan’s ISI what Israel did to Hamas,” Rubin asserted.
He emphasized that the ISI should be treated as a designated terrorist organization, and urged India’s allies to follow suit in isolating it globally.
Rubin directly implicated recent comments by Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, stating they could be seen as provocative and encouraging terrorism.
“Asim Munir said Kashmir is the jugular vein—India must now cut Pakistan’s jugular,” he remarked, accusing Munir of effectively “green-lighting” terrorism through his rhetoric.
Rubin also warned of the growing regional threat from terrorism expanding beyond Pakistan into countries like Bangladesh, citing long-standing havens for groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba within Pakistan.
The attack at Baisaran meadow, which left 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen dead, is one of the deadliest since the 2019 Pulwama attack, and has triggered widespread outrage across India. In response, India has taken stringent diplomatic steps:
- Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960
- Immediate closure of the Integrated Check Post at Attari
- Declaration of Pakistani military advisors in India as Persona Non Grata
- Suspension of SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals
Rubin’s statement echoes the sentiment of a growing number of voices calling for a more aggressive and permanent strategy against entities perpetuating terror under the cover of diplomacy and state support.