Report Highlights Unusual Surge in Pahalgam Satellite Imagery Orders before Attack
An "unprecedented spike" in orders for high-resolution satellite images covering Pahalgam and its surrounding areas was reportedly registered by US-based space technology firm Maxar Technologies in the two months preceding the deadly April 22nd terrorist attack at the tourist destination. According to sources, this increased demand, notably peaking in February 2025, coincided with Maxar's recent partnership with a Pakistan-based geospatial company whose founder has a prior conviction in the US for illegal exports to Pakistan's nuclear agency.
Pahalgam Imagery Orders
Maxar Technologies allegedly received at least twelve orders for imagery of the Pahalgam region between February 2nd and February 22nd, 2025 – reportedly double its usual volume for such a location. Further purchases were noted on April 12th, just ten days before the attack that killed 26 civilians. Two subsequent requests for imagery of the region were also placed on April 24th and 29th, after the incident.
Maxar's Pakistani Partner
The timing of this surge has drawn attention, as it reportedly began in June 2024, shortly after Maxar partnered with Business Systems International Pvt Ltd (BSI), a geospatial company based in Pakistan. The founder of BSI, Pakistani-American businessman Obaidullah Syed, was previously found guilty and sentenced by a US federal court for illegally exporting high-performance computer equipment to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). The US Department of Justice has also stated that BSI acted as a middleman for illegally routing resources for Pakistani government agencies. While the data reportedly does not confirm if BSI placed the Pahalgam orders, defence experts cited in the report consider the coincidence significant given the founder's history.
It's reported that Maxar subscribers can often view satellite images ordered by other partners unless designated as strategically sensitive, and the Pahalgam images, along with their order dates, were visible.
The unusual concentration of satellite imagery orders for Pahalgam just months before the tragic attack, coupled with the background of a new Maxar partner, has raised serious questions among defence analysts.
