Following the terrible Pahalgam terror assault on April 22, 2025, which killed 26 tourists, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the Lok Sabha to explain the government’s strong response.
Jaishankar claimed that Pakistan had violated India’s “red lines” by aiding the attack, needing a firm and decisive response at both the diplomatic and operational levels.
The first major diplomatic measure was a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting on April 23, when India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, announcing that it would stay in effect until Pakistan credibly and irreversibly rejected its support for cross-border terrorism.
The Integrated Check Post in Attari was immediately shuttered, and Pakistani nationals were prevented from traveling under the SAARC visa exemption arrangement.
Additionally, India expelled the Defence, Naval, and Air advisors of the Pakistani High Commission, reducing its permitted staff from 55 to 30.
The response continued beyond these measures, with India embarking on a global diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s long-standing use of cross-border terrorism, explaining to the international community that the Pahalgam attack targeted the region’s economy and aimed to spark communal discord. Diplomatic briefings and media outreach reinforced India’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and its right to self-defence.
Operation Sindoor, begun shortly after the incident, was a concerted military action that targeted nine terror facilities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan, killing more than 100 militants. This huge display of force was designed to deter additional attacks and to convey the gravity of crossing India’s red lines.
Following these operations, India and Pakistan signed a cease-fire agreement on May 10, signaling a temporary stop in direct military clashes.
Throughout the parliamentary debates, Jaishankar highlighted that the government’s initiatives were not confined to military and diplomatic measures, but also included efforts to shape international consensus on the nature of the threat presented by Pakistan-based terrorists.
These steps demonstrated India’s resolve to safeguarding its people and territory, seeking accountability and sending a clear message to Pakistan and the world community that terror strikes would have major consequences and would be handled with a complete response.
