Following heightened tensions following India’s Operation Sindoor, a military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, Indian and Pakistani delegations engaged in a high-stakes diplomatic outreach in Washington, DC, as they attempted to influence international opinion.
While the Pakistani team, led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, started its mission in New York before gathering in Washington, the Indian delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and consisting of members from all political stripes, arrived in the US following a multi-country tour.
India’s Shashi Tharoor made a forceful statement, pointing out Pakistan’s long-standing practice of aiding terrorist organizations. In a blatant accusation of Pakistan supporting terrorism and then bearing the repercussions, Tharoor quoted Hillary Clinton when she said, “You can’t breed vipers in your backyard and expect them to bite only your neighbors.”
Using the rise of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and its origins in policies initially backed by Islamabad, he contended that Pakistan’s claim of being a victim of terrorism is self-inflicted.
“If your neighbor lets his Rottweilers attack your children and then says, let’s talk, you think he’s going to talk to him until he either unleashes those Rottweilers or locks them up in a kennel or puts them to sleep,” Tharoor said, illustrating that India will not engage in dialogue under threat.
That’s how easy it is. He reaffirmed that while India does not want war, it will not stand by and tolerate aggression; instead, it will retaliates forcefully against any future assaults.
The delegation also included BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who called the Pakistani outreach ironic and compared it to “the Devil quoting from the scriptures.” He also criticized Pakistan’s efforts to portray itself as a peace-seeking country while allegedly supporting terrorism and depending on foreign imports and failed military tactics.
Under the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto, the Pakistani group referred to themselves as a “peace delegation” and demanded that intelligence on terrorism be shared jointly. The Indian side categorically rejected this idea as being untrue. Many interpreted Pakistan’s diplomatic push as a response to India’s broad outreach, which included dispatching teams to 33 nations to provide justification for Operation Sindoor.
In Washington, the calendars of both delegations were jam-packed with appointments with prominent US lawmakers, committees, think tanks, and media organizations.
Tharoor expressed optimism that India’s message would be understood by those who are worried about terrorism and the stability of South Asia, albeit acknowledging the difficulty of breaking through the cluttered US media landscape.
Compared to Pakistan, which only sent a delegation to major cities like Washington, Brussels, and London, India’s strategy was noticeably more comprehensive, with its group traveling to more nations. This strategic distinction emphasized India’s goal to forge an international alliance against transnational terrorism and to draw attention to the disparity between its image of democracy and growth and Pakistan’s purported deceit.
Prominent US officials backed India’s stance, with House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast highlighting the robust US-Indian relationship and defending India’s right to self-defense. Following the Pahalgam attack, former US National Security Advisor John Bolton also openly defended India’s conduct as lawful self-defense.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan reportedly urged US President Trump to help expedite negotiations with India, putting the country on the defensive. India insisted that any discussion will only address the problem of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and the situation of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
India firmly framed the issue around terrorism and self-defense, while Pakistan found it difficult to refute accusations of deceit. The two delegations’ simultaneous presence in Washington, DC, resulted in an uncommon and acerbic diplomatic contest. In addition to “decimating” the Pakistani effort in terms of clarity and conviction, India’s all-party outreach, spearheaded by Tharoor, strengthened New Delhi’s standing as a responsible actor seeking peace while being uncompromising on security. The episode emphasized how India’s position on cross-border terrorism is becoming more and more accepted internationally, while Pakistan is becoming more and more isolated.
