Latest news with #crossborderterrorism
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
India-Pakistan conflicts need no foreign mediation, delegate tells M'sia
Sanjay Kumar Jha (centre) said India is seeking to put Pakistan back on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force, an international watchdog against money laundering and financing of terrorism. KUALA LUMPUR : The India-Pakistan conflict that flared up following a deadly attack in Pahalgam, India, in April is strictly between the two nations and requires no foreign mediation, says Indian MP Sanjay Kumar Jha. The Janata Dal (United) MP said the Indian government appreciated Malaysia's strong condemnation against terrorist attacks on civilians. 'It's our official stance that the conflict (is an issue) between both countries,' he said. Sanjay was at a media briefing event today with a nine-member all-party parliamentary delegation from India to provide information on the nation's position in fighting cross-border terrorism under Operation Sindoor. He said India is seeking to put Pakistan back on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international watchdog against money laundering and financing of terrorism. Sanjay claimed India's government has evidence that points to Pakistan's alleged connection with terrorism activities. 'We request countries out there, including Malaysia, to support us,' he said. Pakistan was on FATF's grey list – a list of countries committed to addressing strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing – from 2012 to 2015 and from 2018 to 2022. Proliferation financing refers to providing funds or financial services for the development, acquisition, or transfer of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. On May 5, Anwar said Malaysia is open to helping cool tensions between India and Pakistan after the deadly attack that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. 'Malaysia remains open to playing a constructive role, should the need arise. 'We believe our close ties with both Pakistan and India place us in a position to support efforts towards regional peace and stability,' the prime minister said. He condemned all forms of violence and expressed support for an independent and transparent investigation to identify those responsible for the attack in Kashmir. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. New Delhi blamed the incident on 'terrorists' backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
India and Pakistan's Air Battle Is Over. Their Water War Has Begun.
The drones and missiles have been stilled after India and Pakistan's brief but intense military battle this month. But the two neighbors have turned up the heat on another longstanding conflict, over the sharing of water. A day after terrorists killed 26 people on the Indian side of Kashmir in April, igniting tensions that would lead to four days of escalating conflict, the Indian government said it would suspend a vital pact governing rivers that flow from India into Pakistan. That agreement, the Indus Waters Treaty, covers a river system that tens of millions of people rely on for their livelihoods and survival. India, which linked the April attack to Pakistan, said it would step away from its obligations under the pact until its nemesis 'credibly and irrevocably' renounced support for cross-border terrorism. Pakistan, which denied any role in the terrorist attack, called India's move an 'act of war.' India's targeting of water, however, is not just about combating terrorism, analysts say. The Indian government has been frustrated by the 65-year-old treaty, believing it has favored Pakistan from the start, and analysts say that India is hoping to force Pakistan to renegotiate it. That could allow India to better use its allotted waters to meet the needs of its immense population and adapt to climate change. India's decision to put the agreement 'in abeyance' — and the vague conditions it has imposed on Pakistan to reverse that — has injected a note of uncertainty into the future of a treaty that has survived multiple wars and conflicts. A full breakdown would have serious consequences for both countries, especially Pakistan, an arid land with few other sources of water. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The National
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
India will no longer tolerate cross-border attacks, warns senior MP
India will no longer tolerate 'cross-border terrorism' and will respond to any future attacks, a senior Indian parliamentarian said, as a fragile ceasefire between his country and Pakistan continues to hold. The warning follows a terrorist attack last month in the Pahalgam area of Indian-administered Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 civilians, including 25 Indians. India accused Pakistan of being behind the assault. Islamabad denies the claim. 'This cannot happen again and again. Everyone has a threshold, and this is ours,' Shrikant Shinde, an MP for India's Shiv Sena party, told The National. 'This is the new normal: if they hit us, we will hit back. And we did, with restraint. Operation Sindoor was a measured response. We targeted only the camps of terrorist organisations.' Mr Shinde this week led an eight-member delegation to the UAE as part of a diplomatic push to highlight India's stance against cross-border attacks. It is one of seven all-party delegations dispatched to 32 countries to deliver the message. This month, India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam attack. The military response included missile strikes on what India said were nine militant camps in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani officials said the strikes killed 31 civilians. India and Pakistan fought for four days before a ceasefire was reached on May 10. The truce was announced by US President Donald Trump in a social media post and later confirmed by New Delhi and Islamabad, though each gave different accounts of how it was reached. While Mr Trump asserted a key US role in brokering the deal, Pakistan credited the involvement of several governments. India, in line with its long-standing policy of viewing the Kashmir dispute as a bilateral issue, downplayed any third-party role. 'The ceasefire was a mutual agreement between India and Pakistan,' said Mr Shinde. 'There's an established mechanism and a hotline between the two countries. Pakistan contacted us and requested the ceasefire, and we responded positively.' Both nations historically blame each other for initiating hostilities, while insisting their own actions are retaliatory. Kashmir, claimed in full by India and Pakistan, remains the most contentious issue between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. They have fought two of their three wars over the region, and tensions have shaped their relationship through decades of conflict and suspicion. While India and Pakistan have each claimed victory, some experts fear that a return to hostilities is almost inevitable. In a speech last week, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi insisted that the military offensive against Pakistani terrorist groups was ongoing and described the ceasefire as merely a pause. 'Pakistan has to make the choice now. The ball is in their court,' said Mr Shinde. The UAE was the first stop on Mr Shinde's four-nation diplomatic tour, which also includes Liberia, the Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. During the visit, the delegation met with several UAE officials, including Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence. The Emirates played a quiet role in helping de-escalate tensions after the Pahalgam attack. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, called for restraint and engaged repeatedly with both sides to prevent further military escalation. 'The UAE has a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism,' said Mr Shinde. 'We are here to reinforce the fact that we all speak the same language when it comes to terrorism.' India and the UAE share deep-rooted ties based on trade, cultural exchange and a large Indian diaspora. Over the years, the bilateral ties between Abu Dhabi and New Delhi have evolved into a strategic partnership, with co-operation spanning energy, security and investment. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force in 2022, has accelerated trade and investment flows. Mr Modi has visited the UAE seven times over the past decade. 'We are building major infrastructure − hospitals, roads − and attracting investment, including from the UAE, in Kashmir,' stated Mr Shinde. 'This has created jobs and fuelled a tourism boom. Last year, we had 25 million visitors to Kashmir, and the economy has significantly improved.' The MP believes the attack in Pahalgam was aimed at disrupting this progress. 'This is peak tourist season. Maybe the terrorists don't like that Kashmir is thriving,' he said. 'But what's different now is that the people of Kashmir took to the streets to condemn the attack. The mood has changed.'
The National
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
India will no longer tolerate cross-border attacks, warns senior parliamentarian
India will no longer tolerate 'cross-border terrorism' and will respond to any future attacks, a senior Indian parliamentarian said, as a fragile ceasefire between his country and Pakistan continues to hold. The warning follows a terrorist attack last month in the Pahalgam area of Indian-administered Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 civilians, including 25 Indians. India accused Pakistan of being behind the assault. Islamabad denies the claim. 'This cannot happen again and again. Everyone has a threshold, and this is ours,' Shrikant Shinde, an MP for India's Shiv Sena party, told The National. 'This is the new normal: if they hit us, we will hit back. And we did, with restraint. Operation Sindoor was a measured response. We targeted only the camps of terrorist organisations.' Mr Shinde this week led an eight-member delegation to the UAE as part of a diplomatic push to highlight India's stance against cross-border attacks. It is one of seven all-party delegations dispatched to 32 countries to deliver the message. This month, India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam attack. The military response included missile strikes on what India said were nine militant camps in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani officials said the strikes killed 31 civilians. India and Pakistan fought for four days before a ceasefire was reached on May 10. The truce was announced by US President Donald Trump in a social media post and later confirmed by New Delhi and Islamabad, though each gave different accounts of how it was reached. While Mr Trump asserted a key US role in brokering the deal, Pakistan credited the involvement of several governments. India, in line with its long-standing policy of viewing the Kashmir dispute as a bilateral issue, downplayed any third-party role. 'The ceasefire was a mutual agreement between India and Pakistan,' said Mr Shinde. 'There's an established mechanism and a hotline between the two countries. Pakistan contacted us and requested the ceasefire, and we responded positively.' Both nations historically blame each other for initiating hostilities, while insisting their own actions are retaliatory. Kashmir, claimed in full by India and Pakistan, remains the most contentious issue between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. They have fought two of their three wars over the region, and tensions have shaped their relationship through decades of conflict and suspicion. While India and Pakistan have each claimed victory, some experts fear that a return to hostilities is almost inevitable. In a speech last week, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi insisted that the military offensive against Pakistani terrorist groups was ongoing and described the ceasefire as merely a pause. 'Pakistan has to make the choice now. The ball is in their court,' said Mr Shinde. The UAE was the first stop on Mr Shinde's four-nation diplomatic tour, which also includes Liberia, the Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. During the visit, the delegation met with several UAE officials, including Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence. The Emirates played a quiet role in helping de-escalate tensions after the Pahalgam attack. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, called for restraint and engaged repeatedly with both sides to prevent further military escalation. 'The UAE has a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism,' said Mr Shinde. 'We are here to reinforce the fact that we all speak the same language when it comes to terrorism.' India and the UAE share deep-rooted ties based on trade, cultural exchange and a large Indian diaspora. Over the years, the bilateral ties between Abu Dhabi and New Delhi have evolved into a strategic partnership, with co-operation spanning energy, security and investment. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force in 2022, has accelerated trade and investment flows. Mr Modi has visited the UAE seven times over the past decade. 'We are building major infrastructure − hospitals, roads − and attracting investment, including from the UAE, in Kashmir,' stated Mr Shinde. 'This has created jobs and fuelled a tourism boom. Last year, we had 25 million visitors to Kashmir, and the economy has significantly improved.' The MP believes the attack in Pahalgam was aimed at disrupting this progress. 'This is peak tourist season. Maybe the terrorists don't like that Kashmir is thriving,' he said. 'But what's different now is that the people of Kashmir took to the streets to condemn the attack. The mood has changed.'
Khaleej Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Indian delegation discusses 'Operation Sindoor' with Emirati govt
An all party Indian delegation is travelling around the world to "confront the challenge of cross-border terrorism". Dr Shrikant Shinde, Member of Parliament, arrived in Abu Dhabi on May 21, along with a delegation of other members of parliament and politicians. Received by Ahmed Mir Khoori, Member of the Federal National Council, and Ambassador Sanjay Sudhir, the Indian delegation "shared India's decisive success with 'Operation Sindoor'". The delegation consisted of Manan Kumar Mishra, Sasmit Patra, ET Mohammed Basheer, SS Ahluwalia, Atul Garg, Bansuri Swaraj, and Ambassador Sujan R Chinoy. About the all party Indian delegation Seven delegations comprising over 40 Members of Parliament (MPs) from various political parties have been dispatched to approximately 33 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The all party delegation, created by the Centre, is a coordinated diplomatic initiative launched by the Indian government in the wake of the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. The campaign, known as 'Operation Sindoor,' aims to present a unified Indian stance against cross-border terrorism, particularly highlighting Pakistan's alleged involvement.
