Panama's President Backs India's Anti-Terrorism Efforts During Diplomatic Meeting

Support for India's Anti-Terrorism Stance

Panama City: Jose Raul Mulino Quintero, the President of Panama and a member of the United Nations Security Council, has voiced his support for India's ongoing battle against terrorism, as reported by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor following a meeting with a parliamentary delegation.

During their 'constructive and productive' discussion at the Presidential Palace, Mulino conveyed his understanding and backing for India's anti-terrorism initiatives, Tharoor shared on social media.

Panama's Foreign Minister, Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez, who hosted a lunch for the delegation, was also present during the meeting alongside several senior officials.

Martinez-Acha expressed Panama's full support for India's stance on terrorism, as noted by Taranjit Singh Sandhu, a former ambassador to the US accompanying the delegation.

The meeting also included Vice-Minister Carlos Hoyos and two members of Panama's National Assembly, highlighting the respect India commands in the region, according to Tharoor.

Tharoor presented images of Pakistani officials attending the funeral of Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a senior figure in the Lashkar-e-Taiba, designated as a terrorist by the UN Sanctions Committee.

He emphasized that this serves as undeniable evidence of Pakistan's complicity in terrorism.

Notable attendees at the funerals of Rauf and other terrorists included high-ranking officials from the Pakistan military and Punjab Police.

The parliamentary delegation's visit to this significant Central American nation, a UN Security Council member, aimed to reinforce India's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, particularly following the tragic massacre of 26 individuals in Pahalgam by terrorists linked to Pakistan.

India's Operation Sindoor was launched to target terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

In response, Islamabad has escalated attacks on various targets in India, including places of worship, intensifying the conflict.

The delegation, reflecting a unified national stance, comprised members from various political parties, including Shambhavi from the Lok Janshakti Party, Sarfaraz Ahmad from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Milind Murli Deora from the Shiv Sena, and BJP leaders Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Tejasvi Surya, along with GM Harish Balayogi from the Telugu Desam Party.

After visiting New York and Guyana, the delegation plans to travel to Colombia and Brazil before heading to Washington to garner support for India's anti-terrorism efforts.