Kapil Sibal demands 'Terror Attack' tag for Pakistan, calls for International Court trial

Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal on Wednesday strongly condemned the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and urged the Indian government to seek international justice. In his statement, Sibal called for prosecuting the terrorists responsible in the International Criminal Court (ICC) and demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah move to declare Pakistan a "terrorist state."

Sibal said, “Those responsible for this should be prosecuted in the international court. I urge the Home Minister to proscribe Pakistan as a terrorist state and move the International Criminal Court.” He underlined the grave nature of the attack, calling it “an act of madness and insanity,” while asserting it was also part of a larger, meticulously orchestrated plan.

The ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands, is a global judicial body established to try individuals accused of the most serious crimes: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of aggression. However, India is not a signatory to the Rome Statute—the treaty that created the court, which limits its ability to pursue legal action via this channel.

Despite this technical limitation, Sibal stressed that India should lead a global diplomatic charge to bring international scrutiny to the attack and pressure the global community to isolate Pakistan for its alleged support to terrorist outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba. He added that the Congress and other Opposition parties would stand behind the government if such a move is initiated.

Sibal detailed the planning behind the attack, pointing out the location and the execution. “Baisaran valley is uphill from Pahalgam—no cars go there. Terrorists knew the security response would be delayed. They segregated victims and targeted them based on identity. This couldn’t have been spontaneous. It was premeditated,” he said.

The Pahalgam attack, which occurred in the scenic Anantnag district, resulted in the death of 28 civilians, most of them tourists, and sent shockwaves across India. The local community has declared a complete shutdown in mourning and protest. Meanwhile, calls for international action and diplomatic retaliation continue to mount.