New York, July 2: India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday described the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, as “an act of economic warfare” designed to destroy tourism in the region and provoke religious violence, blaming the assault on Pakistan-based terrorist groups.
Speaking at Newsweek headquarters near the 9/11 Memorial in New York during his official visit to the United States, Jaishankar said the militants behind the attack asked victims to identify their religion before killing them. The incident, which left 26 civilians dead, was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba.
“This was meant to destroy the tourism industry – the economic lifeline of Kashmir – and to stoke religious tensions. It was terrorism with an economic and communal objective,” he said.
Jaishankar emphasized that India had responded forcefully through Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “We cannot allow terrorists to function with impunity. The idea that being on the other side of the border grants them immunity needs to be challenged – and that’s what we did,” he said.
He also underlined India’s rejection of “nuclear blackmail,” asserting that New Delhi would not be deterred from acting against terrorism. “If someone launches attacks on us, we will hit back. There will be no more free pass under the guise of nuclear deterrence,” Jaishankar added.
The minister accused Pakistan of allowing terror groups to operate openly from its towns and cities. “These groups have their headquarters like any corporation, and everyone knows where they are. Those are the buildings we targeted,” he said.
Jaishankar inaugurated an exhibition at the United Nations titled The Human Cost of Terrorism, organized by India’s Permanent Mission to the UN. He said the global community must adopt a policy of zero tolerance toward terrorism, warning that states using terrorism as a tool would eventually face consequences themselves.
India has long accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism. Jaishankar recounted the long history of violence, dating back to 1947, and referred to major attacks like the 2001 Parliament assault and the 2008 Mumbai attacks as part of the pattern.
During a Q&A session, he was asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s past claims of using trade to defuse India-Pakistan tensions. Jaishankar dismissed any impact on trade negotiations, calling the current talks professional and focused on economics.
He also described a critical moment on May 9, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warning that Pakistan would launch a massive assault if India did not back down. “The Prime Minister remained unmoved. That night, they did attack, and we responded immediately. By the next morning, Pakistan was ready to talk,” Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar is scheduled to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.
