Latest news with #Tehrik-i-TalibanPakistan
The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
‘Who created the Taliban': Shashi Tharoor hits back at Pakistani delegation
'This (Pakistan) delegation is going around saying we are also victims of terrorism; we have lost more lives to terrorism than India has. We turn around and say- Whose fault is that? As Hillary Clinton famously said 10 years ago. You can't breed vipers in your backyard and expect them to bite only your neighbours…That's why they (Pakistan) are now getting terrorists attacked by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, but who created the Taliban from which the Tehrik-i-Taliban broke off? We all know the answer to that, so let Pakistan look inside it and let it do some serious interior reflection before it goes around pleading innocence and deniability and everything else.' Washington DC: Even as Pakistan's delegation, seeking to put its point across after India's action against terror during Op Sindoor, arrived in Washington Wednesday, India's outreach delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised Pakistan's outreach effort. 'Bhutto has been calling his delegation a peace delegation, and it is quite ironic that the Pakistani delegation is speaking the language of peace. It's like the Devil quoting from the scriptures. For a country that is trying to create fake heroes by promoting failed generals to field marshal, they don't know what true leaders look like. Pakistan has been surviving on cheap Chinese imports, including military hardware, which spectacularly failed on the battlefield. So perhaps it is hard for them to digest high-quality, high-calibre military hardware as well as strong democratic leadership on the other side of the border,' Surya said. Earlier, under pressure Bilawal Bhutto made an impassioned call for peace at the UN Headquarters in New York and even called for joint intelligence sharing on terrorism. A theory completely rejected by the Indian side. 'I think the US has understood for some time now that India has a very clear position that there will be no talks with a gun pointed at our head… The problem is that we will not deal with people who are pointing a gun at our heads. I mean frankly, if your neighbour unleashes his Rottweilers* to bite your children and in fact to do worse to your children, and then says, let's talk. You think he's going to talk to him until he either unleashes those Rottweilers* or locks them up in a kennel or puts them to sleep. It's as simple as that. You're not going to talk to people who are pointing guns at your temples. It's not going to happen,' said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. 'India does not seek war. We have never sought war in our civilisation's history… But that doesn't mean that we will remain passive in the face of Adharma. If there is cessation of aggression, you will have peace, but if you attack us not once, but we are ready to do 100 Operation Sindoor,' said BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. India already has the upper hand as the two delegations come face to face in the US. On Wednesday, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast endorsed India's action against terror. 'The world was holding its breath, watching what had taken place, both in disgust and also in anticipation of the response. When you are attacked, you have no choice but to respond. The world does not allow anything else, and those responses needed to take place. We have a great friendship and partnership between our nations, and we see nothing but growth and expansion in the future,' he said. Pakistan is clearly on the back foot as India presents a strong case for itself. A sign of that came on Wednesday when Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif again urged US President Trump to facilitate talks with India. India's stance is clear: if there are to be talks, they will only be on terrorism emanating from Pakistan and Pakistan's illegal occupation of part of Jammu and Kashmir. This report is auto-generated from the ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. Also read: Bilawal Bhutto vs Shashi Tharoor. Pakistanis want to know who will do West outreach better
NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Can't Breed Vipers...": Shashi Tharoor Slams Pakistan's US Outreach
Washington: Even as Pakistan's delegation, seeking to put its point across after India's action against terror during Op Sindoor, arrived in Washington on Wednesday, India's outreach delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor decimated Pakistan's copycat outreach effort. "This (Pakistan) delegation is going around saying we are also victims of terrorism; we have lost more lives to terrorism than India has. We turn around and say- Whose fault is that? As Hillary Clinton famously said 10 years ago. You can't breed vipers in your backyard and expect them to bite only your why they (Pakistan) are now getting terrorists attacked by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, but who created the Taliban from which the Tehrik-i-Taliban broke off? We all know the answer to that, so let Pakistan look inside it and let it do some serious interior reflection before it goes around pleading innocence and deniability and everything else." Echoing the stand delegation member and BJP MP Tejasvi Surya hit out at the irony of Pakistan's delegation calling itself the delegation of peace. "Bhutto has been calling his delegation a peace delegation, and it is quite ironic that the Pakistani delegation is speaking the language of peace. It's like the Devil quoting from the scriptures. For a country that is trying to create fake heroes by promoting failed generals to field marshal, they don't know what true leaders look like. Pakistan has been surviving on cheap Chinese imports, including military hardware, which spectacularly failed on the battlefield. So perhaps it is hard for them to digest high-quality, high-calibre military hardware as well as strong democratic leadership on the other side of the border," Mr Surya said. Earlier, under pressure Biawal Bhutto made an impassioned call for peace at the UN Headquarters in New York and even called for joint intelligence sharing on terrorism. A theory completely rejected by the Indian side. "I think the US has understood for some time now that India has a very clear position that there will be no talks with a gun pointed at our head... The problem is that we will not deal with people who are pointing a gun at our heads. I mean frankly, if your neighbour unleashes his Rottweilers* to bite your children and in fact to do worse to your children, and then says, let's talk. You think he's going to talk to him until he either unleashes those Rottweilers* or locks them up in a kennel or puts them to sleep. It's as simple as that. You're not going to talk to people who are pointing guns at your temples. It's not going to happen," said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. "India does not seek war. We have never sought war in our civilisation's history... But that doesn't mean that we will remain passive in the face of Adharma. If there is cessation of aggression, you will have peace, but if you attack us not once, but we are ready to do 100 Operation Sindoor," said BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. India already has the upper hand as the two delegations come face to face in the US. On Wednesday, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast endorsed India's action against terror. "The world was holding its breath, watching what had taken place, both in disgust and also in anticipation of the response. When you are attacked, you have no choice but to respond. The world does not allow anything else, and those responses needed to take place. We have a great friendship and partnership between our nations, and we see nothing but growth and expansion in the future," he said. Pakistan is clearly on the back foot as India presents a strong case for itself. A sign of that came on Wednesday when Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif again urged US President Trump to facilitate talks with India. India's stance is clear: if there are to be talks, they will only be on terrorism emanating from Pakistan and Pakistan's illegal occupation of part of Jammu and Kashmir.
News18
5 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Shehbaz Sharif Seeks Trump's Facilitation As Tharoor-led Delegation Exposes Pakistan In US
Last Updated: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif praised Trump for his role in helping de-escalate the situation with India and urged Washington to facilitate a dialogue between the two nations. Amid Indian delegations' global outreach against terrorism, Pakistan is making an all-out effort to seek the help of US President Donald Trump to try and achieve peace with India. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Trump for his role in helping de-escalate the situation with India and urged Washington to facilitate a comprehensive dialogue between the two nuclear neighbours. Addressing an event at the US Embassy in Islamabad, the Pakistan PM echoed former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who stated that Trump 'deserves credit" for helping facilitate the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan. 'On 10 different occasions, he has taken credit for facilitating the ceasefire between India and Pakistan — and rightly so. He deserves that credit because it was his efforts that helped make the ceasefire possible. So, if the US is willing to help Pakistan in maintaining this ceasefire, it is reasonable to expect that an American role in arranging a comprehensive dialogue would also be beneficial for us," Bhutto said. Meanwhile, India publicly denied role of US President Trump in achieving the ceasefire agreement with Pakistan. New Delhi has consistently rejected third-party mediation on bilateral issues. 'I think the US has understood for some time now that India has a very clear position that there will be no talks with a gun pointed at our head… The problem is that we will not deal with people who are pointing a gun at our heads. I mean frankly, if your neighbour unleashes his Rottweilers* to bite your children and in fact to do worse to your children, and then says, let's talk," said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation to the United States. 'You think he's going to talk to him until he either unleashes those Rottweilers* or locks them up in a kennel or puts them to sleep. It's as simple as that. You're not going to talk to people who are pointing guns at your temples. It's not going to happen," he added. The Indian delegation also slammed the Pakistani side for claiming that it was as much a victim of terrorism as India was. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, 'This (Pakistan) delegation is going around saying we are also victims of terrorism, we have lost more lives to terrorism than India has. We turn around and say- Whose fault is that? As Hillary Clinton famously said 10 years ago. You can't breed vipers in your backyard and expect them to bite only your neighbours…That's why they (Pakistan) are now getting terrorists attacked by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, but who created the Taliban from which the Tehrik-i-Taliban broke off? We all know the answer to that, so let Pakistan look inside it and let it do some serious interior reflection before it goes around pleading innocence and deniability and everything else." (With agency inputs) First Published: June 05, 2025, 13:35 IST
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Tharoor slams Pak with Hillary Clinton's 'breeding vipers in backyard' jibe
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticised Pakistan for supporting terrorism, rejecting its claim of being a victim of terrorism. Tharoor — who is in the US leading an all-party delegation to highlight India's zero-tolerance stance on terror — made these remarks in response to the position of a Pakistani delegation that is also visiting the US under the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto. Tharoor recalled Hillary Clinton 's remarks on 'breeding vipers' to emphasise the dangers linked with Pakistan's long-standing association with the terror groups. Speaking to ANI at the Indian Embassy in Washington, the Congress MP said, 'This (Pakistan) delegation is going around saying we are also victims of terrorism, we have lost more lives to terrorism than India has. We turn around and say- Whose fault is that?' Recalling Hillary Clinton's warning, Tharoor further added, 'As Hillary Clinton famously said 10 years ago, 'you can't breed vipers in your backyard and expect them to bite only your neighbours…' That's why they [Pakistan] are now getting terrorists attacked by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, but who created the Taliban from which the Tehrik-i-Taliban broke off? We all know the answer to that, so let Pakistan look inside it and let it do some serious interior reflection before it goes around pleading innocence and deniability and everything else.' Tharoor made these remarks while he was leading an all-party delegation after the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor. The all-party delegation led by Tharoor is in the US for its final leg, and the dates of their US visit have coincided with those of the Pakistani delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto. The Pakistani delegation in the US highlighted Islamabad's stance on what it calls 'Indian aggression'. Reacting to the claims made by the Bilawal Bhutto-led delegation, Tharoor said, 'We are not there with a message about India versus Pakistan. It's about India as a democracy facing terror and as a country that has been focused on its own economic development and growth story. Even Kashmir was a story of prosperity and a booming economy.' Tharoor also dismissed claims that India's actions were based on religious or communal grounds, Hindustan Times reported. He said, "When Operation Sindoor was conducted, of the three briefers, two were women and one was a Muslim woman officer. None of our delegations is without at least one Muslim member". He further added, 'This is about terrorism. It's not about religion, it's not about communal issues, it's not about bilateral India.' Terrorist infrastructure was targeted at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on the intervening night of May 6 and May 7 under the code name 'Operation Sindoor'. The coordinated missile strikes were in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists, resulting in the downgrading of diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
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First Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Tharoor vs Bilawal Bhutto: India's long game and Pakistan's domestic compulsions in battle of diplomacy
India and Pakistan have launched global diplomatic campaigns after recent military clashes to shape international opinion. While India pursues a long-term strategy to isolate Pakistan over terrorism, Islamabad's outreach is driven by domestic political compulsions. read more In a diplomatic blitz, India and Pakistan dispatched high-profile delegations to the United States, and other countries as well, to present their narratives following last month's military clashes over four days before Islamabad requested New Delhi for a no-attack understanding. India's delegation was led by opposition politician and former Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, while Pakistan's was headed by its former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. They presented contrasting narratives. India emphasised Pakistan's alleged sponsorship of terrorism and highlighted Islamabad's role in cross-border terror attacks, not just in Pahalgam where tourists were targeted leading to the massacre of 26 people, but for decades as part of its policy of 'bleeding India to death through a thousand cuts'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan, on the other hand, ironically portrays itself as a peaceful victim of Indian aggression and stresses the need for dialogue. What Shashi Thahoor said to the Pakistan delegation In an interaction at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC, he said, 'This [Pakistan] delegation is going around saying we are also victims of terrorism, we have lost more lives to terrorism than India has. We turn around and say — whose fault is that?' Tharoor said, 'As Hillary Clinton famously said 10 years ago, 'You can't breed vipers in your backyard and expect them to bite only your neighbours'. That's why they [Pakistan] are now getting terrorists attacked by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, but who created the Taliban from which the Tehrik-i-Taliban broke off? We all know the answer to that, so let Pakistan look inside it and let it do some serious interior reflection before it goes around pleading innocence and deniability and everything else.' Contrasting approaches, differing motivations India's multiparty approach projects unity. India's delegation, including prominent opposition figures, signals a united front domestically, strengthening the credibility of its message abroad. This contrasts with Pakistan's more fragmented political representation and underscores the Modi government's confidence in its narrative. Pakistan's domestic vulnerabilities were on display in its diplomatice moves. Led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan's diplomatic campaign is driven in large part by its fragile domestic political standing. The government in Islamabad faces low popularity, and hence, it is leveraging international forums to portray itself as a victim of Indian aggression and to seek global mediation on Kashmir — a position firmly rejected by India. The selective composition of Pakistan's delegations, which exclude major opposition parties like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), further reveals internal political calculations. Reports suggest that former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan — known to have closer ties with Taliban groups, earning him a nickname of 'Taliban Khan' — remains a popular choice for the voters though his party, PTI, stays banned from elections. Also, India has dispatched seven delegations to 33 countries, including unlikely venues like Bogotá and Ljubljana, reflecting a global campaign to build support. Pakistan is sending two delegations to a handful of capitals including Washington DC, London, and Brussels. How much of it is due to domestic political motivations? Both governments aim to bolster domestic support by showing active international engagement. India's multiparty delegation projects national unity; Pakistan seeks to counter its low popularity at home. The narrative battle is aimed at domestic audiences as both countries are acutely aware that much of the diplomatic effort is designed to bolster public support at home. India's government uses the campaign to reinforce nationalist credentials and demonstrate proactive leadership, while Pakistan attempts to rally domestic sympathy by portraying itself as unfairly targeted. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The success of the outcome depends on domestic perception. Each government aims to convince its population that the diplomatic campaign was successful, influencing future public support and policy directions. India has provided evidence for what it is briefing nations in its diplomatic outreach. Pakistan has at best referred to unverified claims made on social media. India's strategic long game While Pakistan demands resumption of the Indus Waters Treaty suspended by India after the conflict, citing water security concerns, India seeks to reduce Pakistan's access to bilateral and multilateral aid until Islamabad takes meaningful anti-terrorism actions. India also calls on Pakistan's donors to reduce aid until Islamabad takes stronger action against terrorism. Their strategic goals also seem to be different. India wants to refocus international attention on terrorism rather than nuclear escalation fears, which have dominated since earlier conflicts. Pakistan seems to aim to leverage global concerns over nuclear risks to gain sympathy and mediation support. India is using the diplomatic blitz not just to respond to the four-day military conflict that happened in May but to systematically raise the costs for Pakistan over its failure to curb terrorism. By deploying seven delegations to 33 countries — including unlikely venues — India aims to build sustained international pressure on Islamabad to act decisively against anti-India militant groups and infrastructure on its soil. This reflects a broader effort to shift global focus back onto terrorism, countering the narrative that prioritises fears of nuclear escalation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India's sustained diplomatic offensive reflects a calculated, long-term strategy to isolate Pakistan internationally and pressure it into compliance on terrorism issues, while Pakistan's campaign reveals its domestic political fragility and reliance on external validation. The ultimate success of these efforts will be judged largely by their impact on domestic public opinion in both countries. But there are challenges, for India as well India has gained and can expect wider support over terrorism concerns but alleviating nuclear fears remains a challenge especially against the backdrop of Trump's one-sided repeated claims of stopping an atomic war. Pakistan faces skepticism due to India's strategic importance globally and resistance to international mediation on Kashmir. Challenges for Pakistan's global pitch are glaring. Despite Pakistan's efforts, India's growing global stature as a strategic and commercial partner limits Islamabad's ability to gain widespread international backing for mediation or to deflect attention from terrorism concerns. The contrast is too sharp to be glossed over. India is playing a patient and strategic diplomatic long game aimed at exposing Pakistan's unabashed terror policy. On the other hand, Pakistan's moves look heavily influenced by internal political needs against the backdrop of the battering its armed forces received during Operation Sindoor.
