New Delhi: Emphasizing that India successfully met its objectives of dismantling terrorist networks during Operation Sindoor, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar clarified that future conversations with Pakistan will solely focus on terrorism.
Jaishankar stated, “The Prime Minister has clearly indicated that the only discussions with Pakistan will be about terror. Pakistan has a list of terrorists who need to be handed over, and they must shut down their terrorist infrastructure. They know what needs to be done. We are ready to talk about terrorism—those are the only feasible discussions,” he said after inaugurating the Embassy of Honduras in New Delhi.
Highlighting the international backing India received following the recent successful operation, Jaishankar pointed out the global support after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. The terrorist organization responsible, The Resistance Front (TRF), affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility.
He noted, “We received significant international support, with many leaders and ministers reaching out to the Prime Minister and to me. The UN Security Council passed a resolution clearly stating that those responsible for the attack must be held accountable. On May 7, we took action through Operation Sindoor to do just that.”
Regarding the ceasefire and ongoing military actions, Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s position. “We achieved our goals of destroying terrorist infrastructure. Since we met these objectives, our stance was reasonable because, even at the start, we communicated to Pakistan that we are targeting terrorist networks, not the military. Pakistan’s military had the option to stay out of this, but they chose not to. The damage inflicted on May 10 is clearly visible in satellite images showing the extent of our strikes versus the limited harm to Pakistan, which indicates who truly wanted a ceasefire,” he explained.
Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking in Srinagar, said that India respects the ongoing ceasefire only as long as no terrorist attacks occur. He also suggested that Pakistan’s nuclear facilities should be monitored by an international watchdog.
Addressing soldiers at the Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, the headquarters of the Army’s 15 Corps, Singh described Operation Sindoor as the largest anti-terror operation India has ever conducted. He asserted, “We struck at their core and inflicted a massive wound after they tried to attack our head.”