'We are not looking for war': Shashi Tharoor says Brazil backs India's anti-terror stance against Pakistan
NEW DELHI: Congress MP
, who is leading an all-party delegation to Brazil, on Monday reiterated India's firm message to terror groups and their facilitators across the border, stating, 'I want to say once again if Pakistan had not chosen to expand the conflict, we would not have targeted Pakistani military facilitators.
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We are not looking for war. We are looking only to send a message to terrorists, but through them, we want the message to be heard by those who are providing them safe haven, by those who are financing them, training them, equipping them, guiding them and sending them across the border.'
Speaking in Brasilia after meeting Brazil's top presidential adviser Celso Amorim, Tharoor said Brazil 'fully sympathises' with India's concerns on cross-border terrorism, especially in the aftermath of the April 22
and India's subsequent response through
.
"It was a wonderful meeting... we have worked closely together... it was an easy conversation...we are finding lots of areas of agreement and cooperation...we know that Brazil will fully sympathise with what India is concerned about," Tharoor said, referring to Brazil's solidarity on the issue. Amorim reaffirmed Brazil's position, saying, 'Even if the reasons may be sad, it is a satisfaction to receive our Indian friends.
.. we reiterated our condemnation of all acts of terrorism against the civilian population in India."
Tharoor emphasised that India's military actions were carefully calibrated and not aimed at escalation. He underlined the lack of accountability in Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack and added that the delegation's mission was to 'seek greater sympathy and understanding' globally for India's counter-terror strategy.
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"The reason we have come is very much to seek greater sympathy and understanding on the part of our friends... for the situations in the recent months, in particular the really serious attack on the country by terrorists in Kashmir," Tharoor noted, while also expressing gratitude for President Lula da Silva's personal condolence call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Following their high-level diplomatic meetings, the delegation also held discussions with the India-Brazil Friendship Front, headed by Senator Nelsinho Trad, and with senior officials including Ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha, Secretary General of Foreign Affairs.
The Indian delegation includes MPs from various parties: Shambhavi Chaudhary (LJP), Sarfaraz Ahmed (JMM), G M Harish Balayogi (TDP), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita (all BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), and former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
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Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
US Congressmen support India's right to respond to terrorism
A group of US Congressmen on Wednesday expressed unequivocal and bipartisan condemnation for the Pahalgam terror attack and extended support for India's right to respond to terrorism in the spirit of zero tolerance against terrorism. The lawmakers also hailed the strong strategic partnership between India and the US during a meeting with an all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who briefed them on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and the country's strong and resolute stance in the fight against terror. 'Bipartisan co-chairs @RoKhanna & @RepMcCormick and vice co-chairs @RepAndyBarr & @RepVeasey of India Caucus in the House of Representatives met with the visiting Parliamentary delegation led by @ShashiTharoor today,' the Indian Embassy said in a post on X. The parliamentary delegation briefed the Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and New Delhi's strong and resolute stance in the fight against terror, it said. 'The Congressmen expressed unequivocal and bipartisan condemnation for the terror attack in Pahalgam. They expressed support for India's right to respond to terrorism in the spirit of zero tolerance against terrorism,' the Indian mission said. The all-party delegation also held candid and fruitful exchanges with House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) leadership. 'Chair @RepBrianMast, Ranking Member @RepGregoryMeeks, South and Central Asia Subcommittee Chair @RepHuizenga, Ranking Member @RepKamlagerDove, Ranking Member @RepBera and East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee @RepYoungKim greeted the delegation,' the Indian Embassy said in another post on X. The parliamentary delegation briefed the committee members on the success of Operation Sindoor in defining a new normal in India's fight against cross-border terrorism. The committee leadership condemned the Pahalgam attack unequivocally and said India and USA stand together in their unwavering resolve and fight against terrorism in all its forms. The delegation is one of the seven multi-party delegations India had tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to emphasise Pakistan's links to terrorism. Other members of the delegation are Sarfaraz Ahmad (JMM), Ganti Harish Madhur Balayogi (TDP), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Tejasvi Surya (BJP) and India's former Ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu. The delegation has travelled to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and Brazil before arriving in Washington on the last leg of its tour. In its interactions in the US, the delegation will convey India's resolve against terrorism and emphasise Pakistan's links to terrorism. Speaking to PTI, delegation member Deora said that the group in the US, as well as those visiting other regions and countries, is telling the world that 'India has had enough.' He said that every country they visited so far 'issued very unequivocal, I would almost say, unconditional, statements in favour of India.' 'We want to live in peace. We would prefer it if we have a stable neighbour. Nobody wants an unstable lunatic living next to you,' he said. Another delegation member Surya told PTI that there is absolutely no sympathy towards Pakistani-originated terrorism. The countries the delegation visited have 'very clearly understood why India was constrained to respond militarily in the way it did, and have supported India's counterterrorism measure.' On a Pakistani delegation arriving in Washington the same day, Deora said, 'There is no doubt in anyone's mind in the United States that Pakistan is a banana republic, a failed state, a terror exporter, a country where the civilian government has no power, (it's) the army that controls the power. So I don't think that it matters to India that there's a Pakistani delegation trying to play copy and paste.' Surya also said that it was not the 'first time that the Pakistanis tried to copy India in what India tries to do, but they end up a cheap copy.' He said that the world has long observed what India stands for and what Pakistan stands for. Investing in India, he said, is seen as an investment in democracy, responsible civilian leadership and global progress. On the other hand, he noted that every terrorist attack in the last 20-30 years that has rocked the world has had investigations directly or indirectly leading to Pakistan. He added that over 50 UN-designated terrorists have formed a safe haven in Pakistan. 'So the narrative of a country like Pakistan cannot be salvaged by an accented English speaking suit-wearing ex-foreign minister. Pakistan's hands are too full in blood to be washed away by this overnight drama,' Surya said. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7. Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions. The on-ground hostilities ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.
Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India, Australia agree to work together to combat terrorism
DEFENCE MINISTER Rajnath Singh Wednesday held a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Richard Marles, in which both sides agreed to work together to combat terrorism in all forms and agreed to intensify and diversify defence industry collaboration under the Australia-India Joint Research Project. Marles is on a two-day official visit to India. The visit marks his first to India after his re-appointment as Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. In a statement, the Defence Ministry said that both Ministers strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam and expressed deepest condolences to the families of the victims. It said Singh highlighted India's right to respond in self-defence against cross-border terrorism and described New Delhi's actions against Pakistan as measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible. The Indian Express also learnt that Singh alerted Marles against any possible engagement with the Pakistan military in the backdrop of its growing defence ties with China and the latter accessing key technologies. Sources said the Khalistan issue was also raised in the bilateral meeting in the context of incidents of violence in Australia perpetrated by extremists. The defence ministry statement noted that they had deliberated on furthering defence science and technology collaboration projects when they meet in Australia later this year for the third India-Australia 2+2 ministerial meeting. 'They also reviewed the progress made since the last 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in November 2023, it stated. The meeting offered an opportunity to both sides to review the status of bilateral engagements in the context of emerging regional and global scenarios. 'The discussions covered a wide range of issues such as defence strategic cooperation and security, including industry collaboration, cyber and new emerging technologies, counter-terrorism, hydrography and maritime security,' it said, while adding that the two sides also exchanged views on regional and global security issues of mutual interest. Both sides expressed satisfaction and recognised that defence has emerged as an important pillar of the collaboration on the fifth anniversary of the signing of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 'Both countries expressed satisfaction at the growing strategic convergence between the two countries and agreed to work together towards a free and open Indian Ocean and Pacific Island region,' the statement said. India and Australia also called for the continued strengthening of bilateral defence cooperation and their commitment for achieving their shared objective of peace, prosperity, stability and progress in the Indo-Pacific region. Earlier, Marles laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid homage to the fallen heroes.
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India.com
44 minutes ago
- India.com
Exposed: Inside Pakistan's Brutal Crackdown In Balochistan – Killings, Kidnappings And Silence
Geneva/Balochistan/New Delhi: Blood on the sand. Balochistan bleeds again. Pakistan hunts its own. Killings. Kidnappings. Torture. Global watchdogs raise alarm. No action. No justice. Voices vanish. Bodies dumped. Families shattered. And ironically, the world stays silent. Balochistan screams in daylight. The Baloch human rights group, Paank, has condemned the recent alleged extrajudicial killings of Samiullah (son of Muhammad Hanif) and Bismillah (son of Ghulam Sarwar), whose bullet-ridden bodies were discovered on June 3 in the Ganda Gain neighbourhood of Kalat. The two young men, residents of Padang Abad, Mastung, were abducted by Pakistani security agencies on May 29, only to be found lifeless and tossed aside like trash. 'This is not law enforcement; it is a barbaric campaign of annihilation,' Paank posted on X. Paank unequivocally condemns the extrajudicial killing of Samiullah son of Muhammad Hanif and Bismillah son of Ghulam Sarwar, residents of Padang Abad, Mastung district, whose bodies were discovered on June 3, 2025, in the Ganda Gain area of Sheikhri, Kalat. Levies sources… — Paank (@paank_bnm) June 4, 2025 Levies sources confirmed to news agency ANI the brutality and said the victims were shot, discarded and later transported to RHC Mangochar. The purported massacre joins a list of alleged atrocities being documented month after month in Balochistan, including 'staged encounters, torture and targeted assassinations'. The figures speak volumes. Just in February, Paank recorded five 'extrajudicial' killings and 33 'enforced disappearances'. The body of Mehrab, tortured to death, was found in Kech on April 6. Another, Rehana, was allegedly gunned down in Awaran while trying to save her husband from abduction. Sher Khan Nazar was allegedly kidnapped on April 15. Zabid Ali was reportedly pulled from his home in Chaghi on May 11. These are not only numbers; they are lives erased and families destroyed. Paank strongly condemns the continued practice of enforced disappearances carried out by Pakistani security forces in #Balochistan On June 4, 2025, Pakistani forces extrajudicially detained Babu Jan, son of Muhammad Shafa, from his home in Killi Bahram Shai, Mastung district, at… — Paank (@paank_bnm) June 4, 2025 Paank demands the safe and prompt recovery of three members of the same family who were forcibly disappeared in Pidarak area in Kech district #Balochistan 1. On June 3,2025, Sinkandar Baloch, son of Muhammad Anwar , a resident of Pidarak area in Kech district of Balochistan,… — Paank (@paank_bnm) June 4, 2025 Paank unequivocally condemns the extrajudicial killing of Samiullah son of Muhammad Hanif and Bismillah son of Ghulam Sarwar, residents of Padang Abad, Mastung district, whose bodies were discovered on June 3, 2025, in the Ganda Gain area of Sheikhri, Kalat. Levies sources… — Paank (@paank_bnm) June 4, 2025 Paank strongly condemns the ongoing extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Balochistan, exemplified by the brutal murder of Muslim Baloch in Khuzdar on June 3, 2025. Summoned by a death squad led by Shafiq Mengal and executed en route, Muslim Baloch's killing… — Paank (@paank_bnm) June 4, 2025 Paank strongly condemns the enforced disappearances of two Baloch youths by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in #Karachi. On May 30, 2025, Lal Muhammad Bugti, son of Aitbar Khan from Naseerabad, #Balochistan, was forcibly detained by CTD from Anwar Marri Goth, Karachi.… — Paank (@paank_bnm) June 2, 2025 Paank expresses grave concern over the alarming wave of enforced disappearances carried out by Pakistani security forces on June 1, 2025, in #Balochistan. At least seven individuals including Khalil Ahmed, Muhammad Wafa, Asim Farooq, Aurangzeb Muhammad Shahi, Ghulam Jan Shahwani,… — Paank (@paank_bnm) June 1, 2025 Paank strongly condemns the continued practice of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, where Pakistani security forces are systematically targeting civilians. •On May 29, 2025, Samiullah, son of Muhammad Hanif, and Bismillah, son of Ghulam Sarwar both residents of Padang… — Paank (@paank_bnm) June 1, 2025 Paank stands in solidarity with the campaign demanding justice for the victims of enforced disappearances. We urge everyone to raise their voice, unite, and stand against injustice. Join the online campaign for the safe release of Bahram Wahid, a 15-year-old matriculation… — Paank (@paank_bnm) June 1, 2025 Paank stands in solidarity with the campaign to demand justice for the victims of enforced disappearances. We urge everyone to raise their voice, unite, and stand against injustice. Join the online campaign to demand the safe release of Aimal Baloch. Date: 2 June 2025 … — Paank (@paank_bnm) June 1, 2025 Paank condemns escalating state violence in Awaran #Balochistan Paank strongly condemns the extrajudicial killing of Sageer Ahmed, a police employee and resident of Gwrjak Mashkai, who was brutally shot dead by a state-backed death squad in Shareeki Awaran, on May 30, 2025.… — Paank (@paank_bnm) May 31, 2025 PAANK strongly condemns the continued abduction of Baloch civilians by Pakistani security forces. •On May 8, Jumma Buzdar was forcibly disappeared from Kingri, Musakhel. •On May 9, Nasarullah Buzdar and his father Jamaluddin were abducted from Radasham, Musakhel. •On May 9,… — Paank (@paank_bnm) May 31, 2025 The tragic list grows: Zarina Marri abducted (still missing). Brahumdagh Bugti's sister & niece killed. Dr. Allah Nizar's wife & Prof. Aslam's sister abducted. Mahal, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Gulzadi, Beebo Baloch, and now Majiben Baloch. When will this end?! #Balochistan… — Noora Baloch (@noorabaloch2) June 4, 2025 As international human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch call on Pakistan to end this brutality, Islamabad continues to hide behind impunity. Meanwhile, the alleged clampdown continues. The Balochistan Home Department has extended the detention of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Shah Ji Sibghatullah by another 30 days under the notorious Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance. It is his third consecutive extension. Arrested in April, he was first allegedly held in an undisclosed location before being moved to Hudda Jail. The state's condition for release? Stay away from protests, sit-ins and political activism. He refused. 'The judiciary must not obey the orders of the military and intelligence agencies. Unfortunately, both judges have surrendered the principles of justice to the state's will,' said the BYC while slamming the Balochistan High Court for rejecting release petitions. The state's paranoia about dissent is now allegedly spilling over to women and students. On June 4, protesters flooded the streets of Basima in Washuk district, demanding the immediate release of Mahjabeen Baloch and her brother Younus, allegedly abducted by Pakistani security forces on May 29 and May 24 respectively. No warrant. No charges. No court. Just vanishing in plain sight. Mahjabeen, a student of library science at the University of Balochistan, was allegedly dragged out of her hostel in Quetta by intelligence operatives. Her brother was reportedly snatched from their home. Since then, the family has received no word. The Baloch Women Forum called the act an 'act of cowardice' and demanded her unconditional release. 'This is becoming intolerable and intense,' the forum said. Sabiha Baloch of BYC minced no words, 'The state is blatantly continuing genocide against the Baloch. Our youth are being disappeared in daylight and darkness. Now they've started targeting women and children.' The protesters in Basima warned of a province-wide uprising if the siblings are not freed within 24 hours. 'If anything happens to Mahjabeen or Younus, the state and its institutions will be held fully responsible,' they declared. This is what #Balochistan looks like: tanks roll in, homes are burned, drones hover, & families run for their lives.#Pakistan's military doesn't bring peace—it brings destruction. This is the reality #Baloch people face.#PakistanTerroristState #FreeBalochistan @UN_OCT @hrw — Shanaaz Baloch (@ShanaazBaloch) June 3, 2025 Pakistan's alleged dark underbelly of terror in Balochistan has been laid bare – a 'terrifying blend of military might, intelligence cover-ups, judicial silence and systematic erasure of dissent'. While Islamabad lectures the world on democracy and sovereignty, it continues to crush an entire people within its borders. (With ANI inputs)
