New Delhi: The choice of de-escalation is with Pakistan as it escalated the situation with the Pahalgam terror attack and India only responded to it through Operation Sindoor, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Thursday.
His comments at a media briefing came amid heightened tensions between the two countries.
Misri said escalation started from that side (Pakistan) with the April 22 Pahalgam attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
“Our approach is not to escalate the situation, we only responded to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack,” he said.
On de-escalation of the situation, Misri said, “Pakistan escalated the situation, we only responded. Choice is with Pakistan.”
He said at the UNSC meeting, Pakistan opposed mention of the role of terror group The Resistance Force (TRF) when it had already claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack.
The foreign secretary also said the retaliatory actions of Pakistan are impacting civilians, referring to firings along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Pakistan’s reputation as the centre of global terrorism is rooted in various terrorist attacks across the globe,” Misri, flanked by Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofia Qureshi, said, adding Pakistan has been pursuing cross-border terrorism against India for decades.
He said India’s action on Wednesday was restrained and it was confined to terrorist infrastructure.
In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on terror targets including Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group.
Misri also said Pakistan was deliberately creating roadblocks over the years on the Indus Waters Treaty issue.
13 civilians killed in Pakistan’s ceasefire violations along LoC in Poonch: MEA confirms
As reported by Kashmir Images, a day ahead, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that Pakistan’s ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir have claimed lives of 13 civilians in Poonch sector, and injured a total of 59 people.
Out of the total injured, 44 were from Poonch, the external publicity division of the MEA said.
The Pakistan Army has been resorting to heavy shelling in several sectors along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir that was effectively responded to by the Indian Army, military officials said.
The intensity of Pakistani shelling has increased following India’s military strikes on nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir early Wednesday.
“During the intervening night of May 7 and 8, Pakistan Army posts resorted to unprovoked fire using small arms and artillery guns across the LoC in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir,” a military official said.
“The Indian Army responded proportionately,” the official added.
In view of the escalating tension, the authorities have ordered that all educational institutions in five border districts of Jammu region will remain closed for the second day on Thursday.
