External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday sharply criticised Pakistan during his official visit to Brussels, labelling it “Terroristan” while urging the international community to adopt a zero-tolerance approach toward terrorism and nuclear blackmail. Speaking at a joint press conference with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, Jaishankar said the current situation should not be viewed as a conflict between two states, but as India’s response to terrorism.

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“This is not a conflict between two states. This is actually a response to the threat and practice of terrorism. So, I would urge you not to think of it as India-Pakistan, but think of it as ‘India-Terroristan’,” Jaishankar stated.

He said there was a need for global cooperation on counterterrorism, and called for collective resistance to nuclear intimidation.

“We strongly believe that there should be zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. In that context, it is also essential that we never yield to nuclear blackmail. This is a shared and interconnected challenge for the global community, and it is imperative that there is strong international cooperation and understanding on the matter,” he said.

The External Affairs Minister’s remarks come after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives and escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.

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In retaliation, India launched precision strikes on terror infrastructure located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7 under Operation Sindoor.

Speaking to Politico, Jaishankar warned that India would retaliate forcefully if provoked again. “We are not going to live with it. So our message to them is that if you continue to do the kind of barbaric acts which they did in April, then there is going to be retribution, and that retribution will be against the terrorist organisations and the terrorist leadership,” he said.

He added that India’s response would not be constrained by geography. “We don’t care where they are. If they are deep in Pakistan, we will go deep into Pakistan.”

While the latest flare-up between the two nuclear-armed neighbours has subsided, Jaishankar maintained that the core issues remain unresolved. He said Pakistan is “a country very steeped in its use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy”.

When asked whether the factors that led to last month’s conflict still exist, he replied, “If you call the commitment to terrorism a source of tension, absolutely, it is.”

Jaishankar also addressed India’s military response, stating that the damage inflicted by Indian forces, including fighter jets and missiles, was significantly greater than what India sustained. “As far as I’m concerned, how effective the Rafale was or frankly, how effective other systems were – to me the proof of the pudding are the destroyed and disabled airfields on the Pakistani side,” he said.

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He claimed that Pakistan was forced to seek peace only after India disabled its key airfields. “The fighting stopped on the 10th for one reason and one reason only, which was that, on the 10th morning, we hit these eight Pakistani, the main eight Pakistani airfields and disabled them,” he said, citing satellite imagery available on Google that shows damaged runways and hangars.

As part of its diplomatic efforts following the April 22 attack, India dispatched seven multi-party delegations to 33 global capitals to brief international partners about Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism and to highlight India’s measured yet firm response.

During his week-long Europe tour, Jaishankar is scheduled to hold discussions with leaders from the European Union, Belgium, and France, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties and reaffirm India’s position against terrorism.

Published By: Nakul Ahuja Published On: Jun 10, 2025

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