"Useful briefing, heard India's perspective regarding Pahalgam attack": Center for New American Security Director on meeting delegation
Washington, DC [US], June 6 (ANI): Center for New American Security Director Lisa Curtis said that the briefing by the India's all party delegation was 'very useful' and they heard their perspective regarding the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and India's response to the attack.
Speaking to ANI, Curtis stated that the meeting was a good way to build understanding about what happened in India and why India responded this way.
When asked about her meeting with all-party delegation, she stated, 'I think this was a very useful briefing by a diverse group of Indian parliamentarians, and we heard what their priorities are with the US- India relationship, and we also heard their perspective on the horrific terrorist attack that happened on April 22 in Kashmir and then we heard about India's response to that horrific terrorist attack.'
'On May 7, and so I think it was a good way to build understanding about what happened in India, why India responded the way it did, and I think that what we heard is there is large agreement between the US and India when it comes to countering terrorism, that you cannot stand back when you are attacked by terrorists, that there must be a response or the terrorists are just going to come back and do the same thing again,' she added.
The all-party delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, interacted with members of various think tanks at the Embassy of India at the US on Thursday (local time).
'The All Party Delegation led by Dr. @ShashiTharoor interacted with members of various think tanks at the Embassy today. The conversation focused on India's fight against terrorism and the multi-faceted India-US partnership,' Indian Embassy at the US posted on X.
https://x.com/IndianEmbassyUS/status/1930710457083417003
Shashi Tharoor is leading the all-party delegation which includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejasvi Surya, and Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from the BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora.
During interaction with think tanks and young professionals, Shashi Tharoor said that the delegation has received solidarity and understanding at everywhere they went. He reiterated India's stance that 'there will be a price to pay' if terrorist attacks like this are carried out in India.
He said, 'And I'm very pleased to say that everywhere we went and I could say this quite confidently without exception, we have received both of what we sought. We have received understanding and we have received solidarity. And these two things are really what we came for. We will continue to meet others during the remaining time today and tomorrow. I want to stress one thing, and then I'll be very happy to open it up for discussions, and that thing is quite simply that this is not something we would really have wanted to spend our time on.
'We are a country focused on growth and development. Our focus has entirely been on the economic advances that are so essential to pull a few the few people who remain below the poverty line in our country out below that and to take the rest into the developed India of our dreams. But, sadly, when this kind of thing is done to us, and for very cynical motives, which I think are pretty apparent so I won't spell them out, it was necessary for us to show that we will not allow people to cross the border and kill our citizens with impunity. That for terror strikes like this, which show all the hallmarks of meticulous planning and military style execution, that there will be a price to pay. And that was very strongly the message that we sent.'
The all-party delegation reached the US after completing their visit to Brazil. The diplomatic effort is part of India's broader global outreach following Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 as a military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, which claimed 26 lives and injured several others.
Subsequently, the Indian Armed Forces carried out strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)
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