'Most Notorious Terrorists Operating In Broad Daylight': Jaishankar's Big Swipe At Pakistan

News18

23-05-2025

Last Updated:
Jaishankar rejected the notion that Pakistan was unaware of the terrorism on its soil and said most notorious terrorists were operating from there in broad daylight.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered a scathing remark on Pakistan's military establishment, saying it was involved 'up to its neck" in cross-border terrorism and backed notorious terrorist organisations.
In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant on Thursday, Jaishankar rejected the notion that Pakistan was unaware of the terrorist organisations operating on its soil and said both the Pakistani state and the Army are involved in terrorist activities.
'The most notorious terrorists on the United Nations (UN) sanctions list are all in Pakistan. They operate in the big cities, in broad daylight. Their addresses are known. Their activities are known. Their mutual contacts are known," he said.
Notably, tensions between India and Pakistan escalated dramatically after Lashkar-linked terrorists gunned down 26 tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. India launched precise airstrikes under Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan, sparking four days of intense military hostilities before a ceasefire was announced on May 10.
'Let's Not Pretend Pakistan Is Not Involved'
'Let's not pretend that Pakistan is not involved. The state is involved. The army is up to its neck in it," said Jaishankar, warning of 'consequences" if terrorist attacks from Pakistan continued. He also said the issue of terrorism and that of Jammu and Kashmir were completely separate matters to India.
The minister said India wanted a definitive end to the problem of terrorism emanating from Pakistan. When asked about his previous statement of terming Pakistan as an 'epicentre of terrorism", he said, 'I am not suggesting that, I am stating that."
'Suppose that there were large military centres in the middle of a city like Amsterdam, where tens of thousands of people gathered for military training, would you say that your government knows nothing about that? Of course not," he told the Dutch newspaper.
In an earlier interview with Dutch media, Jaishankar reiterated India's position on terrorism, Kashmir, and bilateral ties with Pakistan. 'Kashmir is part of India. No country negotiates a part of its own territory," he firmly said.
First Published:
May 23, 2025, 09:32 IST