NEW DELHI/AMSTERDAM, May 24 — Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has launched a scathing attack on Pakistan, accusing its state and military of actively supporting terrorist networks and warning that continued attacks could trigger consequences.
In an interview with Dutch daily De Volkskrant during his diplomatic visit to the Netherlands, Jaishankar dismissed suggestions that Islamabad was unaware of extremist activities operating from its territory, calling such assertions “pretence.”
“The most notorious terrorists on the UN sanctions list are all in Pakistan,” Jaishankar said. “They operate in big cities, in broad daylight. Their addresses are known. Their activities are known. Their mutual contacts are known. So let’s not pretend that Pakistan is not involved. The state is involved. The army is up to its neck in it.”
Jaishankar’s remarks come amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar on April 22, which killed 26 civilians. The attack, which India has blamed on Pakistan-based militants, was seen as an attempt to target the region’s tourism industry.
Citing the attack, Jaishankar reiterated India’s long-standing position that terrorism is a standalone international crime. “The world should not accept such practices,” he said.
The Indian foreign minister, referring to the fragile ceasefire understanding reached with Pakistan on May 10, cautioned that any further terrorist attacks originating from Pakistani soil would carry consequences. “The Pakistanis must understand that very well,” he said.
Jaishankar also lauded the Indian armed forces’ recent anti-terror operation, dubbed Operation Sindoor, calling it a demonstration of India’s resolve. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier described the operation as a “new form of justice” in the country’s response to terrorism.
Asked about potential international mediation, including a previously offered role by former U.S. President Donald Trump, Jaishankar firmly ruled it out, reiterating India’s stance that the Kashmir issue is bilateral.
“This is something that we will do together with Pakistan,” he said, adding that Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India in 1947 and that the territories under Pakistani control should be returned.
Jaishankar’s remarks were made during a diplomatic outreach to the Netherlands, India’s second-largest trading partner within the European Union. The visit is aimed at strengthening economic and strategic ties between the two nations. The external affairs minister’s statements highlight New Delhi’s increasingly vocal approach on counter-terrorism and reflect the Modi government’s broader push to isolate Pakistan diplomatically over its alleged support for extremist groups.
