/industry-wired/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/04/2024-12-04t130344212z-iw-new.png)
/industry-wired/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/04/2024-12-04t130332454z-iw-new.jpg)
/industry-wired/media/media_files/2025/04/28/getidoMy9uNxjUxrVoZ1.jpg)
/industry-wired/media/media_files/2025/04/28/getidoMy9uNxjUxrVoZ1.jpg)
From IGNOU Classrooms to Terror Mastermind. The Making of Kashmir’s Most-Wanted
Tragedy struck Pahalgam's serene Baisaran Meadow on April 22, 2025, as terrorists disguised as Indian soldiers brutally killed 26 innocent tourists. Amidst the chaos, one name stands out: Adil Hussain Thokar, a soft-spoken former IGNOU student turned prime accused in one of Kashmir's deadliest attacks. What drove this studious young man from Anantnag to allegedly orchestrate such horror?
The Disappearance of a Student
The family of Adil Hussain Thokar confirmed that he was missing after his cellphone was found switched off. The last sighting of Adil Hussain Thokar was on 29 April 2018, when he is presumed to have left his home in Guree village en route to Badgam for an examination. Neighbors describe him as particularly introverted and bookish, as he was a part-time teacher preparing for competitive examinations.
His mother, Shahzada Bano, lamented that he had never returned. However, the intelligence agencies discovered that he had gone to Pakistan on a student visa, and there he got radicalized. Apparently, in 2024, Adil Hussain Thokar was again in India via the Line of Control (LoC), leading foreign terrorists in the Pahalgam attack.
From Pakistan to Pahalgam: The Trail of Terror
Hashim Musa and Ali Bhai, two Pakistani terrorists, reportedly trained Thokar in the LeT camps and accompanied him. The militants had hidden themselves in the heavy foliage of Kashmir and were scouting locations before they were able to assault Baisaran Meadow.
Witnesses to the scene testified:
The terrorists then forced the victims to recite Islamic prayers before shooting them. Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a pony handler, was shot by the terrorists while he tried to wrest the gun from the assailant.
On the demolition of the house belonging to Thokar's family, the security personnel discovered an enormous cache of explosives during the search operation.
A Nation's Fury: Diplomatic Collapse and Manhunt
- Suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and reduced 20 percent of Pakistan's water supply.
- A reward of USD 24,000 was paid for the arrest of Thokar.
- Shut down the Attari border indefinitely, leaving 180 Pakistani citizens stranded.
Public outcry has been targeted at the Thokar family; their house was demolished under the Anti-Terrorism Act Section 23, thus creating controversies surrounding the notion of collective punishment. For me, my son is dead, said a tearful Shahzada Bano, now sheltered in Srinagar.
How Adil Hussain Thokar Went From Student to Terrorist
The transformation of Adil from a scholarly, bookish young man to one who is planning a bloody massacre in Kashmir is chilling. Allegedly missing since 2018, it was later discovered that Thokar had proceeded to Pakistan to get radicalized and trained by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). On his return to India in 2024, he started his notorious attack on innocent tourists and civilians in general.
His head now fetches a hefty price of $24,000, and his hunt has been continued even as the security forces bring their might to bear upon the hunt and pursuit to apprehend him.
A Wake-Up Call on Youth Radicalization
The Pahalgam attack is a stark reminder of the chilling fact that terrorist outfits are increasingly targeting educated youth. The flow of tourism into the Kashmiri economy has declined by 62%, and state agencies have urged increased vigilance. Radicalization thrives in silence, contends counter-terrorism expert Aarti Tikoo. Families and communities must act before it's too late.