Nepal Mourns Sudip Neupane: Protests Erupt Against Pakistan Over Pahalgam Terror Attack

When 24-year-old Sudip Neupane from Rupandehi set off for a family trip to Kashmir’s scenic Pahalgam meadows, he carried with him dreams of a bright future, responsibilities toward his family, and the simple wish to create beautiful memories. Instead, Sudip — along with 25 others — became a tragic victim of one of the deadliest civilian-targeted terrorist attacks in recent South Asian history.

The attack, carried out on April 22, 2025, by gunmen associated with the Resistance Front (TRF) — a proxy for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) — has left Nepal, India, and much of the international community in mourning and outrage. In a deliberate and brutal assault, attackers opened fire on tourists after demanding their names, castes, religions, and nationalities — killing those who could not recite Islamic verses.

Among the victims, Sudip’s death struck a particular chord back home. His vibrant dreams were silenced, and with them, the hopes of a family and a community. Over the past days, Kathmandu has witnessed a wave of protests outside the Pakistan Embassy, with civil society groups and political parties demanding justice and condemning Pakistan’s continued support for terrorist outfits.

On Monday, a group of young protesters gathered again outside the embassy in Chundevi, waving placards and chanting slogans against Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir, whose recent incendiary comments about Kashmir have drawn sharp criticism. Many believe these remarks, which invoked religious fervor and historical grievances, emboldened militant groups to carry out such atrocities.

Former Prime Minister of Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai, who is currently visiting India, condemned the attack, describing it as “unpleasant and ghastly” and extended his solidarity with the people of India. Other top Nepali leaders — including Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, and numerous lawmakers — have publicly condemned the massacre, with Parliament’s Sunday session heavily focusing on the Pahalgam attack.

The Pahalgam massacre, which resulted in the deaths of at least 28 and injuries to nearly 20 others, mirrors the gruesomeness of past major attacks — such as the 2008 Mumbai carnage — and signals a disturbing shift in militant tactics. Unlike traditional assaults targeting security forces or political figures, this attack was aimed squarely at civilians, including women and children, in a popular tourist hub.

The attackers’ chilling demand for Islamic recitations before executing victims bears haunting similarity to tactics used in previous extremist operations aimed at sowing communal discord. Survivor accounts, such as Asavari’s harrowing testimony of her husband being shot for a missed phrase, underline the mercilessness of the assault.

Timing, too, plays a critical role. The attack came during a surge in tourism to Kashmir, coinciding with the visit of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance to India. Such coordination with high-profile diplomatic events echoes past incidents — like the Chittisinghpura massacre of 2000 — reinforcing suspicions of strategic orchestration to capture global headlines.

In the wake of the massacre, India has squarely pointed to Pakistan-based groups and General Munir’s rhetoric as underlying catalysts. Although Islamabad has denied direct involvement, Pakistan’s track record — underscored by its prolonged grey-listing by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) — weakens its claims of innocence.

Diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan, already fraught, are expected to deteriorate further. Observers anticipate that India will escalate counterterrorism operations in Kashmir and could push for Pakistan’s re-listing on the FATF grey list — a move that previously strained Pakistan’s economy for four years.

Locally, the attack threatens to derail the fragile normalcy Kashmir had enjoyed following the abrogation of Article 370 and successful assembly elections. Increased military activity and surveillance are already underway, with India’s Ministry of Home Affairs announcing intensified operations against sleeper cells and heightened security in tourist zones.

The tourism sector — a vital economic pillar for Kashmir that had seen record numbers in recent years — is poised to suffer significantly. Regionally, hopes of even limited diplomatic thawing between India and Pakistan have been dashed, with General Munir’s aggressive posturing reinforcing the military’s control over Pakistan’s Kashmir narrative.

The Pahalgam massacre has not only stolen the lives of innocent civilians like Sudip Neupane but also thrust South Asia back into the grim spotlight of global terror concerns. As Nepal mourns a young man who had only just begun to chase his dreams, the broader region grapples with renewed fears, hardened diplomatic stances, and an urgent need for a more unified stand against terrorism.

For families like Sudip’s, no geopolitical maneuvering can undo the heartbreak. But for the region, a firm and collective response against terror’s enablers is more critical now than ever before.