Colombia withdraws statement offering condolences to Pak: Tharoor

Bogota: Colombia has withdrawn a statement offering condolences to Pakistan for the loss of lives following India’s military strikes in response to the Pahalgam attack after an Indian parliamentary delegation explained Islamabad’s relentless support to cross-border terrorism.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading an all-party delegation to the South American country, confirmed Bogota’s withdrawal of the controversial statement after meeting Vice Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio.

In the last two days, the nine-member delegation held a series of meetings with Columbia’s senior political brass, apprising India’s policy of “zero tolerance for terrorism” and its retaliatory strikes against terror infrastructure on Pakistani soil following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

“Began today with an excellent meeting with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, and her senior colleagues dealing with the Asia-Pacific,” Tharoor said in a social media post.

“I expressed India’s view of recent events and voiced disappointment at Colombia’s statement on 8 May conveying ‘heartfelt condolences’ to Pakistan,” he said.

“The Minister assured me that the statement had been withdrawn and that our position was now properly understood and strongly supported,” the Congress MP added.

At a media briefing on Thursday, Tharoor voiced his deep disappointment over Colombia offering condolences for the loss of lives in Pakistan following India’s military actions.

However, there was no official word from New Delhi on Colombia’s position following India’s Operation Sindoor and its withdrawal of the statement.

India has sent seven separate delegations to different parts of the globe to apprise the key countries about Pakistan’s relentless support to cross-border terrorism and circumstances leading to its launch of Operation Sindoor.

In Bogota, the Indian delegation also met Alejandro Toro, the president of the Second Commission of the Chamber of Representatives (equivalent to India’s parliamentary committee on foreign affairs) and Jaime Raul Salamanca, president of the Chamber of Representatives (equivalent of Lok Sabha speaker).

“Both dignitaries expressed full understanding of our position and voiced strong support for India’s right to defend itself, its territory and its sovereignty,” Tharoor said on ‘X’.

The delegation also held a meeting with senior officials of the Colombia Council for International Relations.

Tharoor is leading the delegation part of India’s global outreach to expose Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorist activities.

The nine-member delegation already travelled to Guyana and Panama before arriving in Colombia on Thursday.

Other members of the delegation include, Tejasvi Surya (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Shambhavi (LJP), GM Harish Balayogi (TDP) and former ambassador of India to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

From Colombia, the delegation is travelling to Brazil. It will be in the United States on the last leg of its five-nation trip.

India carried out precision strikes on nine terror infrastructures early on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10.

The Pakistani attempts were strongly responded to by the Indian side by inflicting heavy damages to a number of key Pakistani military installations including air bases, air defence systems, command and control centres and radar sites.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on May 10 announced that India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect.

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