Harvard Indian Students Protest Pakistani Delegates’ Visit, Urge US to Revoke Visas Over Pahalgam Attack

Following the targeted killing of 26 Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, Indian students at Harvard protest the presence of Pakistani officials on campus, calling it a threat to campus equity and global justice.

Washington, D.C., April 30:
In a strong protest against the upcoming Pakistan Conference 2025 at Harvard University, Indian students at the Harvard Kennedy School have written to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the revocation of visas granted to Pakistani officials following the recent faith-based massacre in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that claimed 26 lives.

The letter, signed by Indian students Surabhi Tomar and Abhishek Chaudhari on behalf of the Harvard Indian student community, states:

“Survivors confirm that attackers demanded religious identification and the recitation of Islamic prayers—those who failed or identified as Hindu were executed. This was not an indiscriminate act of violence—it was a faith-based massacre.”

The students further criticized the “perfunctory condolences” issued by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry and pointed to the dual messaging from other Pakistani leaders who simultaneously offered support to Kashmiri insurgents—suspected of enabling the attack through ideological and logistical means.

The protest letter specifically targets Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and other delegates expected to represent state institutions at the conference, accusing them of being part of a machinery that supports religiously motivated terrorism.

“Senator Rubio, we respectfully urge you to recommend that the US State Department revoke the visas of all Pakistani officials travelling to the United States for this conference,” the letter stated.

In a parallel appeal to Harvard’s leadership, the students cited the university’s commitment to equity, human dignity, and its historic positions on global injustice, racism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia.

“We now ask for the same clarity, courage, and compassion for Hindu and Indian students grieving the targeted killing of members of their faith. We request you to take a stance against Hinduphobia.”

The demand comes amid growing calls in the Indian diaspora and academic communities worldwide for international accountability on state-supported terrorism and violence targeting religious minorities.