Congress MP Shashi Tharoor asserted that India holds no ill will towards the people of Pakistan and hopes for their nation’s prosperity, provided Islamabad ceases to dispatch terrorists. “As simple as that,” he stressed during an interview on Journalistically Speaking hosted by Rick Sanchez.
Tharoor responded to a question regarding the United States strengthening ties with Pakistan by acknowledging that Washington has longstanding links dating back to the CENTO and SEATO alliances. He added that these connections present an opportunity for influence: if the US can encourage Pakistan to close down terrorist camps and focus on development, India welcomes such engagement. He declared, “We have nothing against the Pakistani people. We just don’t want them to incubate and dispatch terrorists.”
Turning to the latest ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Tharoor stated Delhi was never reluctant to support the truce. He confirmed that at every juncture, India responded proportionately: “if Pakistan hits we’ll hit, if Pakistan stops we’ll stop.” He said they immediately agreed when Islamabad ceased fire, noting India had no desire for prolonged conflict.
Tharoor emphasised India’s focus is not on Pakistan per se, but on terrorism. “When you get hit by terror…you really have to hit back,” he remarked, underscoring the operation’s precise nature. India targeted terrorist camps without damaging civilian or military infrastructure, positioning the response as measured rather than aggressive.
These statements formed part of a broader diplomatic effort by an Indian delegation led by Tharoor, dispatched to major capitals including Brazil, the US and Europe. Its mandate: to portray Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism, galvanise global support for India’s stance, and counter Pakistan’s own outreach, led by figures including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. According to the Financial Times, both nations are waging a campaign to shape international opinion post a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir earlier this year.
During a recent visit to Brazil, Tharoor elaborated that India’s objective was never to provoke war but to deliver a precise message to terrorist groups and the entities that facilitate them—those who “provide sanctuary, financing, training, equipment, guidance and sending them across the border”. He added that India’s actions were directed at terrorists and their enablers, not Pakistan’s military unless directly involved.
In Washington, Tharoor also challenged US President Trump’s claim of mediating the ceasefire, stating that no formal mediation was sought by either country. He argued that India itself had signalled readiness for the truce from the outset.
Further in the US, during a luncheon hosted by President Trump for Pakistan’s Army Chief, Tharoor criticised the optics, warning that diplomatic hospitality must be followed by earnest messaging on counterterrorism. He invoked the case of Osama bin Laden, concealed close to a Pakistani military installation, and urged US officials to request Pakistan to cease harbouring and dispatching terrorists.
Tharoor’s statements align with a position first articulated in May at the Indian Consulate in New York, where he described India’s response to the Pahalgam attack—which claimed 26 lives—as smart and judicious. He said military action targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan deliberately, without escalating into wider conflict.
By spotlighting terrorism rather than state-to-state conflict, Tharoor aims to shape international opinion and create strategic space for a durable peace process. He characterised India’s posture as calibrated: responding forcefully yet without aggression, while advocating for Pakistan’s growth and stability—conditional on abandoning terrorism.
His remarks reflect India’s diplomatic strategy to engage global actors and assert a narrative focused on terrorism infrastructure, rather than bilateral hostility. The approach underlines Delhi’s stance that peaceful coexistence hinges not only on ceasefire adherence but on preventing cross-border militant activity.
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