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Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Pakistanis came in Indian Airways… blamed India': Shashi Tharoor tells when Pak lost ‘last' opportunity
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading one of the multi-party delegations representing India's stance against terrorism, addressed a community event in New York on Saturday, where he recalled the 2016 Pathankot air base attack. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise visit to Pakistan in December 2015, Tharoor said it was a final opportunity for Islamabad to demonstrate sincerity in fighting terrorism. He criticised the handling of the probe, noting that Pakistani investigators were allowed to visit Indian airbases but returned home blaming Indians for the attack. 'In January [2016]… there was an attack on Indian Air Base, and our Prime Minister had just made a visit to Pakistan the previous month [December 2015]...So when this happened, he was so astonished that he actually called the Pakistani Prime Minister and said, Why don't you join the investigation? Let's solve who's doing the horror of the Indian military establishment with this idea that Pakistani investigators would come to Indian airways, but, they came and they went back to Pakistan and said, all the Indians did it to themselves...I am afraid for us, 2015 was the last opportunity for them to behave, to cooperate, to really show they were serious about ending terror, as they claimed every time that they were,' Tharoor said. The Pathankot terror attack occurred on January 2, 2016—just days after then Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Pakistan to meet his counterpart Nawaz Sharif on December 25, 2015. On the day of the attack, four militants belonging to the United Jihad Council breached the high-security Pathankot Air Force Station, which is part of the Indian Air Force's Western Air Command. In the ensuing gun battle, all four militants and two Indian security personnel were killed, while another officer later died from injuries sustained during the encounter. Following the attack a Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was granted access to the Indian Air Force base to gather evidence with assistance from Indian agencies. It had been agreed that an NIA team would reciprocate with a visit to Pakistan, but Islamabad failed to honour the arrangement and did not share any evidence with India. Speaking at the interaction organised by the Consulate General of India in New York—attended by influential Indian-Americans and representatives from leading media and think tanks—Tharoor reiterated India's clear message to Pakistan: 'We didn't want to start anything. We were just sending a message to terrorists.' The New York leg of the delegation's programme is part of India's broader diplomatic initiative to strengthen global alliances, promote its anti-terrorism stance, and foster collaboration on international security and counter-terrorism strategies. All the multi-party delegations described the Indian diaspora as a 'force multiplier' and urged its members to influence both public and political discourse in their respective countries to highlight India's position on fighting terrorism. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar acknowledged the efforts of these delegations, posting on X: 'India stands together in declaring zero tolerance for terrorism.' These delegations are part of India's broader initiative involving seven multi-party teams sent to 33 global capitals to communicate India's stand on terrorism and expose Pakistan's alleged role. In Bahrain, one such delegation met with Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, briefing him about the threat of cross-border terrorism and India's determination to counter it. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, part of the Bahrain delegation, responded to a question saying, 'Our government has sent us here, and various other delegations comprising all party members across various parts of the world, so that the world knows of the threat that India has been facing.' He added, 'The terrorists have justified killings of innocent people in India. …. In our opinion, there is no difference between terrorists in Pakistan and ISIS takfiri ideology.' Other Indian teams visited countries such as South Korea and Slovenia to brief officials on India's zero-tolerance approach following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. In South Korea, a delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha discussed Operation Sindoor—India's military response to the Pahalgam attack—with the Indian diaspora, offering insight into the campaign. In Doha, an all-party delegation led by NCP MP Supriya Sule met Qatari lawmakers, including Dr. Hamda Al Sulaiti, Deputy Speaker of the Qatar Shura Council, taking 'India's strong message against terrorism to the world!' Meanwhile, a delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi arrived in Slovenia as part of the outreach mission titled 'Taking Bharat's message to the world.' All delegations stressed that the Indian diaspora is a 'force multiplier' and called upon them to raise awareness about India's anti-terror stance in their countries of residence. These diplomatic efforts come in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people. In response, India conducted precision airstrikes as part of Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. Pakistan retaliated by attempting strikes on Indian military installations on May 8, 9, and 10, to which India responded firmly. The conflict was de-escalated after the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) from both nations held talks on May 10, resulting in an agreement to halt further military action. (With ANI, PTI inputs)
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Parliamentary panel observes two-minute silence for Pahalgam victims
Paying tribute to the 26 persons killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence observed a two-minute silence. The panel was meeting to hold a review of resettlement policies, healthcare facilities, and other avenues for ex-servicemen. The meeting was attended by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Sources said the members did not enquire into the terror attack. There was a view that the panel should call for the government's internal probe on the Pathankot attack, but no final call was taken. On January 2, 2016, four militants belonging to the Islamic terrorist United Jihad Council attacked the Indian Air Force's Pathankot Airbase, part of its Western Air Command. Eight persons, including seven security personnel, were killed in the attack.
Sky News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Kashmir tourist attack stokes long-held tensions between India and Pakistan amid fears of military escalation
It's a crime scene that could have global consequences. Two nuclear-armed neighbours with decades of hostility and mistrust are threatening each other again after a militant gun attack in disputed Kashmir. India and Pakistan have fought several wars and skirmishes since their independence from Britain in 1947. The latest flashpoint is Tuesday's murder of tourists who were enjoying holidays in a meadow in Pahalgam, known as mini-Switzerland. A group of militants opened fire, killing 26 men and injuring dozens more. India has accused Pakistan of harbouring, arming and sheltering militant organisations whose members infiltrate the almost 500-mile border in Kashmir and attack the state. Pakistan denies the accusation and says it only supports Kashmiris' right to self-determination. Leaders of both countries have turned up the heat, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi telling a rally in the east Indian state of Bihar that his government will "identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will peruse them to the ends of the earth". "Terrorism will not go unpunished. Every effort will be made to ensure that justice is done." 1:11 New Delhi's diplomatic response included revoking visas, expelling military advisers, closing a border crossing and suspending the Indus Water Treaty. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reacted at a meeting on Thursday of the country's National Security Committee, passing reciprocal measures and warning that the suspension of the treaty would be considered an act of war. 'Unacceptable at any cost' Pakistan's foreign minister Ishaq Dar said "any such unilateral action is unacceptable at any cost". In 2019, a suicide bomber in a vehicle killed 40 paramilitary soldiers in a military convoy. India blamed Pakistan for giving shelter to Islamist terrorists and conducted limited airstrikes across the border. A tense standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours has lasted since. Later that year, Mr Modi's government suspended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the only Muslim majority state in India and brought it directly under the control of New Delhi. The Kargil War in May 1999 led to a standoff often described as a nuclear flashpoint. Pakistan's military covertly occupied Indian posts across the line of control (LoC). After the war began, Pakistan asked US President Bill Clinton to help de-escalate the conflict. The result was the Washington Accord, under which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif agreed to withdraw Pakistani troops and restore the LoC. But the United Jihad Council, an umbrella organisation of extremist groups, rejected the deal and decided to continue fighting the Indian state. 2008 Mumbai terror attack leaves 166 dead The 2008 Mumbai terror attack was evidence of this, when 166 people were killed by 10 terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a group alleged to have close ties to Pakistan's spy agency, the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI). The killings went on for four days at iconic places across the city. The only gunman who was caught, Ajmal Kasab, said the attackers were members of the terror group before he was executed in 2012. For decades, Kashmir has been caught up in the vortex of violence, conflict, killings and kidnappings. Pakistan says Kashmir remains an unresolved dispute, and they will continue to support the right of self-determination of its people. Pakistan's 'jugular vein' Last week the all-powerful Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir said Kashmir was their "jugular vein" and Islamabad "will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle". Kashmir is the crown over which the two nuclear-armed neighbours have fought wars and are in a perpetual state of tension. The mistrust between the two countries has grown over the years, and there is little diplomatic manoeuvring to bridge that gap. And, after the Pehalgaum attack, there is every chance of an escalation that could be devastating to its people.
