NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor , one of the leaders of seven all-party delegations, on Thursday (local time) expressed disappointment over Colombia's condolences for the people who lost their lives in Pakistan when India launched a counterstrike on May 7, and said that there can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend. He added that India was only exercising its right of self-defence.
Tharoor, who is in Columbia as part of the Centre's move, has also shown the picture of Pakistani Army officials attending the funerals of terrorists after India's strike on their terror bases and said that if there is any misunderstanding the delegation is here to clear that.
"We were a little disappointed in the reaction of the Colombian government, which apparently expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism. We will say to our friends in Columbia there can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who resist them. There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend," Tharoor said while addressing media in Bagota.
"We are only exercising our right of self-defence, and if there is any misunderstanding here on this core, we are here to dispel any such misunderstanding. We're very happy to talk to Colombia about the circumstances in detail. We have, as I said, very concrete proof. In fact, when this terrorist attack occurred, it was immediately claimed by an organisation called The Resistance Front, which is a unit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba base in Muridke, Pakistan," he added.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terror launchpads in Pakistan and PoK, after the Pahalgam attack which claimed the lives of 26 people.
The Indian Air Force also destroyed 11 Pakistani airbases in response to Pakistan's failed attempts to strike Indian military positions on May 8, 9, and 10.
Tharoor emphasised India's resolute position against terrorism, explaining how the nation responded to the Pahalgam terror attack with Operation Sindoor strikes against terrorist infrastructure.
"India suffered a grievous terrorist attack on the 22nd of April... When this happened, of course, the world rose up to condemn the terrorist attack, but that was as far as it went. There was no action taken, not even by the country where these people had emerged from, Pakistan. Nobody was arrested, and there was no attempt at any prosecution. India decided that this kind of outrage could not go unpunished. On May 7, India chose to strike against known terror bases and launch pads."
He highlighted Pakistan's role in providing terrorists with sanctuary and support.
"There (in Pakistan) was a well-publicised funeral of one of the terrorists on the sanctions list. That funeral was attended by uniformed senior military and police personnel from Pakistan. That is the extent of complicity that we are seeing between the terrorists who perpetrate crimes of this nature and those who finance, guide, train, arm, and equip them and do provide them safe haven to continue their training and their other awful deeds," he stated.
Tharoor, who is in Columbia as part of the Centre's move, has also shown the picture of Pakistani Army officials attending the funerals of terrorists after India's strike on their terror bases and said that if there is any misunderstanding the delegation is here to clear that.
"We were a little disappointed in the reaction of the Colombian government, which apparently expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism. We will say to our friends in Columbia there can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who resist them. There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend," Tharoor said while addressing media in Bagota.
"We are only exercising our right of self-defence, and if there is any misunderstanding here on this core, we are here to dispel any such misunderstanding. We're very happy to talk to Colombia about the circumstances in detail. We have, as I said, very concrete proof. In fact, when this terrorist attack occurred, it was immediately claimed by an organisation called The Resistance Front, which is a unit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba base in Muridke, Pakistan," he added.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terror launchpads in Pakistan and PoK, after the Pahalgam attack which claimed the lives of 26 people.
The Indian Air Force also destroyed 11 Pakistani airbases in response to Pakistan's failed attempts to strike Indian military positions on May 8, 9, and 10.
Tharoor emphasised India's resolute position against terrorism, explaining how the nation responded to the Pahalgam terror attack with Operation Sindoor strikes against terrorist infrastructure.
"India suffered a grievous terrorist attack on the 22nd of April... When this happened, of course, the world rose up to condemn the terrorist attack, but that was as far as it went. There was no action taken, not even by the country where these people had emerged from, Pakistan. Nobody was arrested, and there was no attempt at any prosecution. India decided that this kind of outrage could not go unpunished. On May 7, India chose to strike against known terror bases and launch pads."
He highlighted Pakistan's role in providing terrorists with sanctuary and support.
#WATCH | Bogotá, Colombia | Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "There (in Pakistan) was a well-publicised funeral of one of the terrorists on the sanctions list. That funeral was attended by uniformed senior military and police personnel from Pakistan. That is the extent of… pic.twitter.com/ASPpVPFYnW
— ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2025
"There (in Pakistan) was a well-publicised funeral of one of the terrorists on the sanctions list. That funeral was attended by uniformed senior military and police personnel from Pakistan. That is the extent of complicity that we are seeing between the terrorists who perpetrate crimes of this nature and those who finance, guide, train, arm, and equip them and do provide them safe haven to continue their training and their other awful deeds," he stated.
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