“The world must display zero tolerance, victims and perpetrators must never be equated, and India has every right to defend its people against terrorism – and we will exercise that right. We expect our Quad partners to understand and appreciate that” Jaishankar said in his opening remarks
In a major diplomatic success for India, the four-nation grouping ‘Quad’ strongly condemned the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam and called for action against its perpetrators, organisers, and financiers.
The joint statement emerging from the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington does not directly name Pakistan but it demonstrates the sustained efforts put in by Indian to highlight terrorism originating from across the border, especially in the wake of the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting which omitted any reference to the Pahalgam terror attack.
The SCO document omitted the reference to the Pahalgam but mentioned the Jaffar Express hijacking in Pakistan’s Balochistan.
However, foreign ministers of the Quad, comprising the US, India, Japan, and Australia, addressed the issue of global terrorism, with specific reference to the Pahalgam attack. It did not name Pakistan but made its position clear by referencing “cross-border terrorism” and immediately thereafter condemning the Pahalgam attack.
The joint statement posted on the US State Department’s website stated “the Quad unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renew our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation.”
“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.” It further stated.
The statement also called for the perpetrators to be held accountable: “We call for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay,” it said.
India has consistently accused Pakistan of aiding, abetting, financing, and providing logistical support for the attack.
The Quad also urged “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.”
In his opening remarks, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar said that the “world must display zero tolerance, victims and perpetrators must never be equated, and India has every right to defend its people against terrorism – and we will exercise that right. We expect our Quad partners to understand and appreciate that.”
Notably, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday refused to sign the draft statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting as it omitted the reference to the Pahalgam terror attack but mentioned the Jaffar Express hijacking in Pakistan’s Balochistan.
India accuses Pakistan of having masterminded, aided and abetted the Pahalgam terror attack and equivocally trashes allegations about any involvement in Balochistan.
Singh refusing to sign the draft document was a significant development as no joint statement emerged from this year’s SCO meeting.
The SCO comprises 10 countries, including India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus.
