India Has Every Right to Defend Its People Against Terrorism: Jaishankar at Quad Meeting

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, before the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in Washington DC, emphasised the need for zero tolerance towards terrorism. His comments followed India's global outreach on Operation Sindoor, a military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. He stressed that victims and perpetrators of terrorism "must never be equated".

Earlier, Jaishankar highlighted that terrorists should not operate without consequences. He challenged the notion that being across the border shields them from retribution. Referring to India's counter-terrorism efforts, he stated, "The idea that they are on that side of the border, and that, therefore, sort of prevents retribution, I think, that's a proposition that needs to be challenged and that is what we did."

India's Firm Stance Against Terrorism

In New York, during a conversation with Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad, Jaishankar declared India would not succumb to nuclear blackmail in combating cross-border terrorism. He asserted India's right to protect its citizens from terrorism. "Now we are not going to fall for that. If he is going to come and do things, we are going to go there and also hit the people who did this," he said.

Operation Sindoor marked a shift in India's approach to terrorism from Pakistan by increasing the cost of cross-border attacks. On May 7, Indian forces conducted precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. This was in retaliation for the April 22 attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran, which killed 26 people.

Escalation and Ceasefire

Following Operation Sindoor, Pakistan launched retaliatory attacks on Indian military bases from May 8 to May 10. This prompted a stronger response from India targeting Pakistani military facilities such as air defense systems and radar sites. After four days of intense fighting, Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations contacted his Indian counterpart for a ceasefire.

A ceasefire agreement was reached on May 10 after discussions between both nations. Since then, Indian leaders have reiterated Operation Sindoor as the new standard for responding to terrorism. They have warned of severe actions against any acts of terror.

The external affairs minister reaffirmed India's commitment to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region. His remarks underscored India's resolve in defending its people against terrorism while maintaining regional stability.