Nepal Must Wake Up to the Rogue Reality Next Door
KATHMANDU, APRIL 23
In the aftermath of the brutal Pahalgam attack, the world is once again reminded that terrorism is a plague with no respect for borders, faiths, or nationalities.
The chilling reports from the scene reveal that the assailants, before unleashing their violence, demanded to know the faith of their victims-yet among the dead are Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists.
This starkly exposes the lie that terrorism is ever about protecting or avenging any one community. It is, instead, a blind force of destruction, and this time, one of the fallen was a Nepali citizen.
For Nepal, this tragedy is not a distant headline. It is a warning shot. The adage -"The enemy of my friend is my friend"-has never been more dangerous. The time for ambiguity, for diplomatic hedging, is over. The reality is that the machinery of terror, which has long found haven and patronage in Pakistan, is now a clear and present threat to every nation in the region, including Nepal.
The recent speeches by Pakistan's Army Chief, General Asim Munir, leave little doubt about where the country's most powerful institution is headed.
Munir's open declaration that the army-not the civilian government-rules Pakistan and his repeated invocation of religious rhetoric and the "Two-Nation Theory" underscore a dangerous fusion of military might and ideological extremism. Under Munir, the Pakistani army has not only tightened its grip on the state but also fully embraced an Islamist identity, openly using the language of jihad and martyrdom as part of its official doctrine.
This is not just a national security issue for India or Afghanistan-it is a regional crisis. The Pakistani army's dual role as a commercial mafia and a rogue organization, as highlighted by recent analyses, means that its interests are increasingly divorced from the well-being of its people, let alone its neighbours. The nurturing of terrorist proxies is no longer a covert operation; it is policy justified in the name of religion and national destiny.
Nepal's government, along with its people, mourns the loss of our citizen and others who perished in this tragic event. Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, President Ramchandra Paudel, and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli have all expressed deep sorrow and reaffirmed Nepal's principled stand against terrorism in all forms. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry declared, "Nepal unequivocally condemns the barbaric terrorist attack on innocent tourists. We stand in steadfast solidarity with the government and people of India in this time of sorrow."
Nepal must call a spade a spade. Our government and civil society must recognize that the next attack could just as easily occur on our own soil or claim more Nepali lives abroad. Regional solidarity against terror is not an option-it is a necessity. We must demand accountability, reject the normalization of terror as a tool of statecraft, and prepare diplomatically and operationally for the threats that may soon cross our own borders.
Terrorism is not someone else's problem. It is our collective fight, and the time to act is now.
