India gets U.S. support in fight against terror
The U.S. stands 'in solidarity' with India and supports its 'right to defend itself', Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said in a conversation with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Mr. Singh told Mr. Hegseth that Pakistan had a 'history' of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations, the first direct reference to Pakistan by a senior Minister in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. The call between the Defence Ministers came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to both External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling on India and Pakistan to 'work together' to de-escalate tensions. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy and the Pakistan Navy began simultaneous exercises in the Arabian Sea with both issuing 'Nav Area' warnings amid speculation of punitive strikes by the Indian military and a tense situation between the two countries. On the Line of Control (LoC), there was no let-up in ceasefire violations which have been going on for a week now. 'Secretary Hegseth said the U.S. stands in solidarity with India and supports India's right to defend itself. He reiterated the strong support of the U.S. government in India's fight against terrorism,' Mr. Singh's office said in a post on social media 'X'. 'During the conversation, Mr. Singh said that Pakistan has a history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations. He further said that it is important for the global community to explicitly and unequivocally condemn and call out such heinous acts of terrorism,' the post added. '[I] Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio,' Mr. Jaishankar wrote on his X account. 'Its perpetrators, backers and planners must be brought to justice,' he added. The U.S. State Department readout on the call said Mr. Rubio 'expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and reaffirmed the United States's commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism,' adding that he 'encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia'. In his call to Mr. Sharif, Mr. Rubio spoke of the 'need to condemn' the Pahalgam attack, and urged Pakistani officials' 'cooperation in investigating this unconscionable attack'.
Mr. Rubio's note urging talks joined a number of other countries including the U.K., Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and others who have spoken at high levels in both Delhi and Islamabad, even as India prepares its next response to Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack. India reaching out to three of Pakistan's closest allies amid the likelihood of a military escalation is a significant diplomatic move, The Hindu noted in an editorial. 'Support from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan will be important to building India's case against the perpetrators,' it noted, pointing out that the salutary impact of well-timed diplomacy in turning around ties with countries that had refused India cooperation three decades ago is noteworthy. Meanwhile, in Islamabad, a statement from Mr. Sharif's office said the Pakistani Prime Minister had asked the U.S. to ask India to 'dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly'. A day after the terror attack, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during which he strongly condemned the terror attack and expressed 'full support' to India to 'bring to justice' the perpetrators of this heinous attack. Since the terror attack, Pakistan issued 'Nav area' warning or NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) for almost every day, while the Indian Navy too had carried out several missile firings. India had notified naval firing at four locations off Gujarat from April 30 to May 3, while Pakistan had notified naval drills from April 30 to May 2. Speaking in Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the terrorists who had carried out the cowardly Pahalgam terror attack would not be spared. 'If anyone thinks that they have won by carrying out cowardly attacks, then they should know that this is the Modi government — which will not spare anyone,' Mr. Shah said during an event to unveil the statue and naming of a road after Bodofa Upendranath Brahma, a Bodo social activist, at the national capital. He said that Prime Minister Modi had a zero tolerance policy against those involved in terrorism in Kashmir, and that the government was fighting the battle strongly. The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a plea for a judicial probe into the Pahalgam attack, asking whether the litigants wanted to demoralise the security forces.
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