Pahalgam Assault 'Horrifying, Targeted Hindus': US Religious Freedom Panel Condemns Attack

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Chairman denounced the Pahalgam terror attack causing killings as a "horrifying attack, mainly on Hindus."

Quoting a statement on Friday, Commission Chairperson Stephen Schneck said, "This horrifying attack, mainly on Hindus, is blatant and egregious targeting of people because of their religious faith."

He also urged the government to "hold accountable those held accountable for the attack, and take steps to prevent retaliation on Kashmiri Muslims."

The Commission also stated the "attackers reportedly made the victims recite an Islamic verse, and the ones who couldn't were executed."

Commission member Vicky Hartzler condemned the apparent targeting of Hindus and other non-Muslims, stating, "We are concerned about the blatant targeting of Hindus and other non-Muslims."

She continued, "We call on the U.S. government to continue to increase its leadership and engagement on religious freedom to allow all individuals to be able to practice their religion openly without fear of attack or retaliation."

In a second significant remark, Commission member Asif Mahmood said, "Aside from redesignating Pakistan as a CPC, USCIRF urges the U.S. State Department to remove the current national security waiver so that the administration can implement legally required measures to impose religious freedom."

The indiscriminate firing on April 22 was carried out by Pakistan-based proxy outfit The Resistance Front (TRF) terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The attack on the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam left 25 tourists and one local resident dead, sending shock waves through the country.

Retaliation for that, India's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed a series of tight steps such as suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down the Attari-Wagah border, cancelling the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistanis, ordering the expulsion of Pakistan's military attaches from New Delhi, and thinning out diplomatic personnel at the two countries' High Commissions.