Pahalgam Terror Attack : In a major development, the QUAD countries (US, India, Japan, and Australia), condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. In a joint statement released following the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington, all partners called on the United Nations member states to cooperate in “bringing the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of the reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay”.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong attended the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the US Department of State on Tuesday. The meeting focused on a wide range of regional and global issues, including counterterrorism efforts.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, while injuring several others. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to all those injured,” according to the Quad joint statement.
“We call for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,” added the joint statement.
India-Pakistan conflict post Pahalgam terror attack
The conflict between India and Pakistan saw a significant escalation in military action as Pakistan responded to India’s Operation Sindoor by launching drones. India repelled Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases.
Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian Armed Forces on May 7, targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir in response to a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, in which 26 people were killed.
The victims and perpetrators of terrorism must never be equated and India expects its Quad partners to understand that the country has every right to defend its people against the menace, Jaishankar said on Tuesday. With his counterparts from the US, Australia and Japan listening, Jaishankar also said the world must display zero tolerance towards terrorist activities and that India will exercise its right to defend its people from terrorism.
