"We Want Peace, But Pakistan Wants Terror": Tharoor Slams Islamabad in US

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation to the United States as part of Operation Sindoor's global outreach, reaffirmed India’s firm stance against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, stating that while India seeks peace, Pakistan continues to use terrorism as a tool to achieve strategic objectives.

Addressing the media at the Indian Consulate in New York, Tharoor declared, “We are not interested in warfare with Pakistan. We would much rather be left alone to grow our economy... But the Pakistanis covet the territory India controls and will use terrorism if they can’t achieve their goals through conventional means.”

Delegation Visits 9/11 Memorial: A Symbol of Global Solidarity

Upon arrival, the delegation paid homage at the 9/11 Memorial in New York, sending a powerful message of solidarity with global victims of terror. Tharoor noted the emotional weight of visiting a site still scarred by a major terrorist attack, emphasizing that terrorism is a shared global problem.

“We came both as a reminder that this is a shared problem, but also out of a spirit of solidarity with the victims. It's a scourge and we must all fight it unitedly,” Tharoor said.

On the Pahalgam Attack: “Terror to Provoke Communal Backlash”

Referring to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which killed 26 individuals, mostly tourists, Tharoor condemned the religiously motivated violence. “They were identifying the religions of the victims and killing them on that basis, intending to provoke communal backlash,” he said.

He attributed the attack to the Resistance Front (TRF), a front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, which had previously been flagged by India to the UN Sanctions Committee. However, Tharoor criticized Pakistan’s denial and China’s reported assistance in removing references to TRF from a proposed UN Security Council press statement.

“Peace Was Betrayed”: Revisiting Pathankot and Mumbai Attacks

Recalling India’s past outreach for peace, Tharoor spoke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan in 2015, which was followed by the Pathankot Airbase attack in January 2016. “Pakistan betrayed our goodwill. Our Prime Minister invited them to cooperate on the probe, and they returned claiming Indians attacked themselves,” he remarked.

He also revisited the 2008 Mumbai attacks, highlighting how the perpetrators received real-time instructions from handlers in Pakistan. Drawing a parallel to America’s Operation Neptune Spear, Tharoor slammed Pakistan for sheltering Osama Bin Laden near a military cantonment.

Operation Sindoor: A New Strategic Response

Tharoor stated that India’s response has evolved, particularly after the Pahalgam massacre, with the launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025. The mission involved precise military strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

“We’ve now drawn a new bottom line. Pakistan must understand that if they repeat such actions, there will be swift, smart retaliation. We’ve shown through Operation Sindoor that we can strike with precision,” said Tharoor.

A Unified Voice Across Political Spectrum

The all-party delegation includes MPs from various political parties, including BJP’s Tejasvi Surya and Bhubaneswar Kalita, JMM’s Sarfaraz Ahmad, TDP’s Ganti Harish Madhur, along with Shiv Sena, LJP, and former Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The visit is aimed at presenting a unified Indian voice on terrorism to international audiences.

Following their engagements in the United States, the delegation will visit Panama, Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia, holding meetings with foreign officials, lawmakers, policy experts, think tanks, and global media.

“This is about projecting India’s national consensus,” Tharoor concluded. “Terrorism must be confronted, and safe havens will no longer be tolerated.”

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