'Will hit terrorists in Pakistan': S Jaishankar told US secretary of state Marco Rubio a week after Pahalgam attack
NEW DELHI: India will hit terrorists in Pakistan, external affairs minister
told US secretary of state Marco Rubio in a phone call on May 1 after the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 people.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
"We will hit the terrorists in Pakistan, and there should be no doubt about it," Jaishankar told Rubio, according to ANI citing sources.
'If Pakistan does anything more, our response will be far stronger'
also spoke with US vice-president JD Vance on May 9, "If they (Pakistan) do anything more, our response will be far stronger" when the latter called him up to convey what US intelligence had gathered about Pakistan's intent to massively escalate hostilities.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US Vice President JD Vance clearly that if Pakistan does something, the response will be more devastating and strong. On the same night, Pakistan attacked 26 sites and India responded very strongly. Strikes were launched on their bases," news agency ANI quoted sources as saying.
According to the report, Vance, who was in India with his Indian-origin wife Usha and their children on the day (April 22) of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which led to the conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours, called PM Modi on Friday (local time) with the message that the US officials had assessed there was a "high probability of a dramatic escalation of violence that could tip into full-scale war."
PM Modi listened but "did not commit to any of the ideas" proposed by the US Vice President to de-escalate, the report added.Vance's intervention came just days after he said in an interview that the India-Pakistan conflict is "fundamentally not our business."
India-Pakistan ties hit when terrorist opened fire at a famed meadow near Pahalgam town, dubbed "mini Switzerland," and started firing at tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, a charge denied by Islamabad.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
After this, India retaliated back on May 7 with "Operation Sindoor."
India conducted strikes on nine terrorist locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). In response, Pakistan initiated unprovoked aggression using artillery weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles.
During the night spanning May 7-8, Pakistan launched offensive operations targeting multiple military installations across Northern and Western India, including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, utilising drones and missiles.
The Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems successfully intercepted these attacks.
Both the countries reached to an agreement for ceasefire on May 10 but after few hours, India accused Pakistan of violating the terms of the understanding on Saturday night and asked it to take "appropriate steps" to address these violations and deal with the situation with "seriousness and responsibility".
But after few hours, the situation cooled down even though residents in several border areas continue to live in a state of fear following days of shelling and drone incidents.
During discussions on May 10 between Rubio and Jaishankar regarding India-Pakistan tensions, Rubio stressed the importance of immediate tension reduction.
He also confirmed US backing for direct talks between India and Pakistan whilst supporting enhanced communication channels.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
10 minutes ago
- The Hindu
U.S. lawmaker tells Pakistan delegation to eliminate ‘vile' terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed
A senior American lawmaker has told a visiting Pakistani delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, that the country should do "all it can' to eliminate the 'vile' terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed as well as ensure protection of religious minorities. The Pakistani delegation met Congressman Brad Sherman on Thursday (June 5) , timing their visit to the U.S. capital around the same time as a multi-party delegation of Indian parliamentarians led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is in Washington DC. The all-party delegation is briefing key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India's strong resolve to fight terrorism emanating from Pakistan. In a post on X, Sherman said that he 'emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combatting terrorism, and in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who murdered my constituent Daniel Pearl in 2002'. During my discussion with the #Pakistan delegation yesterday, I raised the critical issue of water for Sindh. The Indus River is the lifeline for tens of millions of Pakistanis, and protecting that water resource is vital. I am also very concerned to hear of unrest in the city… — Congressman Brad Sherman (@BradSherman) June 6, 2025 Terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh was convicted of orchestrating the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Mr. Sherman said Pearl's family continues to live in his district and 'Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region'. Mr. Bhutto also landed in the U.S. at the same time as the Tharoor-led delegation. Mr. Bhutto met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with his delegation as well as Security Council Ambassadors in New York, and later travelled to Washington in Pakistan's bid to internationalise the conflict with India as well as the Kashmir issue but instead got instructed to deal with terrorism emanating from its soil. The U.S. lawmaker also told the Pakistani delegation that the protection of religious minorities in Pakistan remains an important issue. "Christians, Hindus and Ahmadiyya Muslims living in Pakistan must be allowed to practice their faith and participate in the democratic system without fear of violence, persecution, discrimination, or an unequal justice system.' Sherman further urged the Pakistani delegation to relay to their government the need to free Dr Shakil Afridi, who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama bin Laden. 'Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11,' he said. Afridi is a Pakistani physician who helped the CIA run a polio vaccination programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to collect DNA samples of bin Laden's family. Afridi was arrested by Pakistani authorities shortly after the American raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in May 2011. In 2012, a Pakistani court sentenced Afridi to 33 years in prison.
Hans India
10 minutes ago
- Hans India
Pahalgam an attack on both insaniyat & Kashmiriyat: PM
Katra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused Pakistan of targeting "insaniyat and Kashmiriyat" through the terror attack in Pahalgam, saying the assault was "orchestrated with the sinister intent of inciting communal riots in India and robbing the impoverished, tourism-dependent Kashmiris of their livelihood". Addressing a huge rally here after inaugurating the first direct train service to the Kashmir Valley, a project featuring the world's highest arched railway bridge over the Chenab River and India's first cable-stayed Anji bridge, the Prime Minister said "our neighbouring country stands against humanity, social harmony, and economic prosperity". "Not only that, it is also the enemy of poor people's 'rozi-roti' (bread and butter)," Modi said, as he reiterated that the April 22 Pahalgam attack was a stark example through which Pakistan "intended to incite communal violence in India and cripple the earnings of hardworking Kashmiris". Tourism not only generates jobs but also fosters unity among people, Modi said. This was the Prime Minister's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, and India's cross-border military action under Operation Sindoor that followed. After inaugurating the Chenab bridge, the Prime Minister walked on it holding the Tricolour high. He travelled in a rail engine coach to reach the spot. Modi said projects worth Rs 46,000 crore, which he launched, will accelerate development in Jammu and Kashmir, driving progress and prosperity. During the historic event in Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, the Prime Minister condemned Pakistan's repeated attempts to disrupt progress in the region. "Our neighbouring country stands against humanity, social harmony, and economic prosperity. Not only that, it is also the enemy of poor's 'rozi-roti'. What happened on April 22 in Pahalgam was an example of that. Pakistan attacked 'Insaniyat and Kashmiriyat' in Pahalgam," he said. Modi pointed out that the deliberate attack on tourists was meant to sabotage the flourishing tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir, which witnessed record visitor footfalls over the past few years. He said Pakistan's malicious intent directly impacted local workers, including pony rider operators, porters, guides, guest house owners and shopkeepers, aiming to destroy their livelihoods. The Prime Minister also praised the courage of young pony ride operator Adil Hussain Shah, who stood against terrorists but tragically lost his life in the Pahalgam terror attack while striving to support his family through honest labour. Recalling that exactly one month ago, on the intervening night of May 6-7, India executed Operation Sindoor to deliver a decisive blow to Pakistan-based terrorists, Modi said, "Whenever Pakistan hears the name Operation Sindoor, it will be reminded of its shameful defeat. "Pakistan's military and terror networks never anticipated India's bold move. Within minutes, terror infrastructure hundreds of kilometres inside their country that they had built over decades were reduced to ruins." Left in shock and frustration, Pakistan took out its anger on civilians in Poonch and other border districts where it bombed school going children, destroyed schools and hospitals, and attacked temples, mosques and gurdwaras with shelling, Modi said. But the countrymen stood with the victims of Pakistani shelling with full strength, he added.
Time of India
13 minutes ago
- Time of India
No boys, no meat, no logic: NRI lambasts Indian-Canadian landlords over 'embarrassing' rental advertisements
An Indian woman currently residing in Canada recently raised a critical concern about biased rental practices among Indian landlords abroad . In a widely discussed Reddit post, she conveyed her disappointment and embarrassment at encountering housing advertisements that impose exclusionary preferences rooted in caste, religion, native language, or even dietary habits. These discriminatory tendencies, she noted, are distressingly common in rental listings circulating within South Asian immigrant from her personal experiences, the woman shared how such ads frequently specify conditions like 'only Gujarati girl,' 'Punjabi-speaking vegetarian preferred,' or 'South Indian girls only—no boys allowed.' Some listings even go further, insisting tenants must be strictly vegetarian, barring even outside non-vegetarian food, or stating that only individuals speaking a specific language or following a particular religion will be considered suitable. To her, these expectations felt deeply regressive and out of place in a multicultural, law-governed society like didn't shy away from pointing out how these landlords seem to be ignoring the legal frameworks in place that prohibit discrimination in housing. Her post raised a significant question: Why do some landlords behave as though they're still operating under informal, unchecked systems from back home, despite living in a country with established human rights laws?The woman urged that if landlords are so rigid about who they want living in their properties based on language, background, or food habits, they should consider alternative arrangements—like living with family or not renting the space out at all. She argued that being a tenant does not mean one has to match the landlord's personal preferences. As long as renters respect the lease, pay rent on time, and abide by legal guidelines, their cultural background or dietary preferences should not be a post sparked a flood of responses, many echoing her sentiments. One user shared their experience in Vancouver, advising against renting from South Asian landlords due to recurring issues such as lack of privacy, unannounced visits, and poor communication. They recalled an absurd listing that offered free rent to a woman, provided she cooked daily for five male tenants—an offer that felt more like a bizarre matrimonial ad than a housing user recounted being shown a cramped room that had to be shared with a stranger, separated only by a flimsy screen, and said they've avoided Indian landlords ever since. Yet, some voices in the thread defended the landlords, claiming property owners have the freedom to select tenants who align with their personal comfort debate continues online, highlighting the urgent need for awareness, respect for laws, and a more inclusive mindset within diaspora communities.
