Filipino-Indian community calls for global action following attack in Pahalgam

Muslims shout slogans after Friday prayers during a protest against the killing of tourists by militants near Pahalgam in Indian controlled Kashmir, in Guwahati, India, Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino Indian Commerce and Welfare Society Inc. (FICWSI) has condemned what it called a “horrific terrorist attack” in Pahalgam in the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, as it called the international community to unite and denounce the assault.

The Filipino-Indian community described the attack in Baisaran Valley as “the deadliest in the region in more than two decades.”

READ: Dozens of tourist resorts in Kashmir are closed after deadly attack

“We grieve with our Hindu and Indian brothers and sisters- as well as with the tourists from around the world who had no inkling of the grim fate that awaited them,” said FICWSI president Manjinder “James” Kumar in a statement on Thursday.

“We call on Pakistani authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. In a world already burdened with uncertainty and unrest, atrocities such as this are unacceptable and must not go unchallenged,” Kumar asserted.

“In light of these facts, the international community must rise in unified condemnation of the Pahalgam attack. Strong and meaningful action must be taken to compel Pakistan to reform its approach to terrorism and to offer just compensation to the victims of this heinous crime,” he added.

Based on reports, Kashmir authorities temporarily closed  48 of the 87 government-authorized resorts for safety precautions after the deadly attack on tourists raised tensions between India and Pakistan.

This came after gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian tourists, near the resort town of Pahalgam.

“As Filipino Indians who have enjoyed the freedom to live and worship peacefully in the Philippines, we reaffirm our belief in the universal right to practice one’s faith without fear of violence or persecution,” Kumar said.

“Let this tragedy not divide us, but unite us in a shared resolve to confront terrorism and uphold the values of peace, dignity, and human life,” he added.