New Delhi: The recent clashes between India and Pakistan were triggered by the “brutal terrorist attack” in Pahalgam and were not about a “conflict in Kashmir”, and much of the world agreed with the actions taken by New Delhi, external affairs minister S Jaishankar has said.
Describing the recent events as a “conflict in Kashmir” would be akin to putting the perpetrator and the victim of the Pahalgam attack at the same level, Jaishankar said during at interaction at the DGAP or German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin late on Friday.
India targeted terrorists located in Pakistan, which has “for many, many years used terrorism as a kind of a tool in its attempts to pressure us”, he said during an interactive session at the think tank. Jaishankar responded to a question on the “international implications of the conflict in Kashmir” by saying: “First of all, this was not a conflict in Kashmir, this was a terrorist attack.
“And a terrorist attack which is part of a pattern which has not only targeted the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, but other parts of India as well. It’s very important to clarify because when you project it as a conflict, you’re really putting the perpetrator and the victim, without meaning to, at the same level.”
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack last month that killed 26 civilians. This triggered four days of intense clashes before India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to halt their military actions.
Jaishankar said the “horrific, particularly brutal terrorist attack” at Pahalgam was meant to “create a fear psychosis and destroy the tourism economy of Kashmir”. The attack was also meant to sow religious discord because of the manner in which the victims were identified according to their faith and killed.
There was a lot of international understanding for India’s response to the attack and the UN Security Council issued a statement saying the perpetrators should be held accountable. “And that is exactly what we did on May 7. We targeted terrorist headquarters and terrorist centres. And our campaign is against terrorism,” he said.
“When it comes to terrorism, I think today there’s virtually no country which would say I approve of what is done or no country which would say I don’t condemn what was done,” Jaishankar said, noting Germany too condemned the attack and backed India’s right to defend itself against terrorism.
Jaishankar also called for greater cooperation between India and European countries, particularly Germany, in the Indo-Pacific to give countries in the region more option in key sectors such as telecommunications, digital infrastructure, space-based applications and healthcare.
While security is one of the main issues in the Indo-Pacific, Jaishankar said, in an apparent reference to China and its Belt and Road Initiative, that countries in the region would be “railroaded” if they do not have more choices.
“I would actually point to a different concept, which is how do we give countries in the Indo-Pacific more choices. That if countries in the Indo-Pacific have a single choice, they’re railroaded along a certain path and they develop their dependencies and frankly they’re put in a very unenviable position,” he said.
Jaishankar also pointed to changes in the US’s engagement with the world during crises and humanitarian disasters while seeking greater cooperation between India and Europe to deal with these issues. While the US was the main responder during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, questions have now arisen about its willingness to commit resources and undertake responsibilities, he said.
He cited the example of the recent earthquake in Myanmar and said India and the China were the first to send relief teams to the country and set up shelters and mobile hospitals. “We do feel there is an intent certainly on the part of Europe to [work on these issues] but intent by itself won’t work if you don’t have partners who make it possible,” he said, calling for new modes of collaboration between India and Europe to deal with global crises.
