New Delhi: In a strong diplomatic counteroffensive following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, India has decided to dispatch multiple delegations of Members of Parliament (MPs) from across the political spectrum to key countries around the world.
Each of the seven delegations will consist of MPs from different parties, prominent political figures, and senior diplomats.
MPs expected to lead the delegations include Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda, JD(U)’s Sanjay Kumar Jha, DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, NCP (SP)’s Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Eknath Shinde.
The objective is to expose Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the attack and to underline India’s firm stance against terrorism.
Owaisi to join the delegation
Meanwhile, reports are emerging that AIMIM leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi would be a part of the delegation. Speaking to PTI, the politician said he is yet to be briefed by the government about the details of the diplomatic drive.
He lashed out at Pakistan, saying the country is a threat to humanity by arming, training and financing terrorists. “India has been a big victim of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. We all have seen the tamasha, slaughtering of people since the time of Zia-ul-Haq. They will continue to do it tomorrow and are not going to stop. However, India’s patience ran out with the Pahalgam terror attack,” he said.
The firebrand parliamentarian said it is necessary to call out Pakistan over its projection of itself as an Islamic country in its confrontation with India. “This is nonsense. Nearly 20 crore Muslims live in India. This too must be conveyed.”
Asserting that destabilising India, fomenting communal divide and stalling the country’s economic rise is part of Pakistan’s unwritten ideology, Owaisi said this has always been the objective of the Pakistani deep state and its military.
Delegations to make visits later this month
According to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, these All-Party Delegations will be visiting important partner nations, including members of the United Nations Security Council, later this month.
“In the context of ‘Operation Sindoor’ and India’s continued fight against cross-border terrorism, seven All-Party Delegations are set to visit key partner countries, including members of the UN Security Council later this month,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The All-Party Delegations will project India’s national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations. They would carry forth to the world the country’s strong message of zero-tolerance against terrorism,” it added.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, posting on X, wrote, “In moments that matter most, Bharat stands united. Seven All-Party Delegations will soon visit key partner nations, carrying our shared message of zero tolerance to terrorism. A powerful reflection of national unity above politics, beyond differences.”
The countries where the delegations will be dispatched include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Egypt, the United States, and Japan.
The delegations aim to communicate India’s unified political stance against terrorism and seek international support to hold Pakistan accountable.
Other MPs expected to participate include BJP leaders Anurag Thakur, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, and Tejasvi Surya, TDP’s Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Congress MP Manish Tewari, and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi.
To counter Pakistan’s attempts
Sources indicate that the decision to send these cross-party delegations is a response to Pakistan’s increased attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue, as well as to recent comments by US President Donald Trump.
New Delhi continues to maintain that Kashmir remains a bilateral matter.
This marks the first time that the Modi government has mobilised elected representatives from multiple political parties as diplomatic emissaries to challenge Pakistan’s narrative on the global stage.
The focus of the delegations will be two-fold: To brief foreign governments about the Pahalgam terror attack and to clarify that ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied territories, without endangering civilian lives.
Good opportunity for India: Omar
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said that the decision is a good opportunity to present India’s viewpoint following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
He said that after the attack on Parliament in 2001 during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, delegations were sent to some countries in a similar way.
Asked about the decrease in tourism in the Kashmir valley following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, Abdullah said the government’s focus now is on conducting an incident-free annual Amarnath Yatra which begins July 3.
“Tourism has been hit quite badly. This summer season of ours is more or less now (washed), we hardly have any tourists coming. Now, we are focused on the Amaranth yatra,” he told reporters.
“We want the Amarnath yatra to pass incident-free and want all the yatris to go back safe and sound and then we will start looking out at what we can do to promote tourism,” he said.
On the present situation along the border and the Line of Control (LoC), Abdullah said that as of now, there are no reports of violation of the understanding reached between India and Pakistan.
“Assessment of the damage is being done. Once the damage assessment report comes, we will work on the compensation package. Whatever we can do, we will do and whatever help we need from the Centre, we will ask the Centre,” he added.
(The copy had earlier mentioned AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi would lead the delegation. However, the information was found to be incorrect. The error is regretted.)
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