India's High Commissioner Condemns Pakistan's Support for Terrorism Amid Rising Tensions
Escalating Tensions Between India and Pakistan
New Delhi: Vikram Doraiswami, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, has criticized the Pakistani Army for honoring terrorists with state funerals, warning that India will respond similarly if provoked.
In an interview with Sky News' Yalda Hakim, Doraiswami displayed a photo of Hafiz Abdul Rauf, a US-designated terrorist, who was seen being honored by Pakistani military personnel during a funeral for terrorists killed in India's 'Operation Sindoor' strikes.
He emphasized that over the past three decades, the international community should have pressured Pakistan to dismantle its terror infrastructure, which it has failed to do despite promises.
Doraiswami stated that the situation could improve if Pakistan ceased its attacks on Indian military targets.
He pointed out that the initial rise in tensions stemmed from attacks by Pakistan-backed terror groups on civilians in Pahalgam on April 22.
The envoy described India's military actions in Pakistan as 'precise, targeted, reasonable, and moderate.'
He reiterated that the goal was to prevent military escalation, a sentiment acknowledged by Pakistan in their statements about airspace violations.
Doraiswami questioned the implications of giving state funerals to terrorists, highlighting that Pakistan has used such practices as a form of sub-critical warfare against India for decades.
He urged the international community to offer Pakistan a chance to de-escalate the situation.
India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, remarked that Pakistan's military response to India's Operation Sindoor was perceived as support for terrorism, prompting further Indian counteractions.
Kwatra clarified that India's objective is to combat terrorism and hold those responsible accountable, rather than escalate to full-scale war.
He noted that India is not at war with Pakistan, but rather with terrorism.
Following the brutal killing of 26 Indian civilians by Pakistan-backed terrorists on April 22, India executed a measured military response targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Earlier, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also referenced the same photograph of Pakistani officials at terrorist funerals, arguing it contradicts claims that those killed were civilians.
He stated that while honoring terrorists may be customary in Pakistan, it does not resonate with India's values.
Tensions escalated on Thursday when Pakistan's military attempted to strike Indian military installations in Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur, all of which were successfully neutralized by Indian forces.
Sirens sounded and explosions were reported in Akhnoor, Samba, Baramulla, and Kupwara as the Indian military conducted extensive aerial surveillance operations in response to Pakistan's unprovoked aggression.
In retaliation, India launched strikes on key locations in Pakistan, including Islamabad, Lahore, and Sialkot, after thwarting multiple attacks on Indian cities and downing a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet in Rajasthan.
Earlier that day, India targeted air defense systems in Pakistan, including those in Lahore and Rawalpindi, significantly crippling the Pakistan Army's capabilities.
On Wednesday, India initiated Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge the killings in Pahalgam. The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attacks.