India hardens diplomatic stance against Pakistan, says it's at war with terrorists

India has intensified its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan in the wake of escalating military tensions, with senior envoys reaffirming the country’s resolve to bring justice to victims of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra said India is at war with terrorists and will hold the “lowlifes, subhuman monsters” behind the Pahalgam attack accountable. His remarks came as part of a broader push to rally international support and underscore India’s position.

Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami said India’s response, dubbed Operation Sindoor, was “precise and targeted” at terror infrastructure, in contrast to Pakistan’s decision to escalate the conflict rather than seek an “off-ramp” to de-escalate tensions.

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The diplomatic efforts followed a dramatic surge in hostilities, with Indian defence forces foiling two cross-border attacks by Pakistan on Jammu city within hours. The situation has remained volatile since Operation Sindoor was launched early Wednesday in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack and Pakistan’s failed bid to target 15 Indian cities.

”April 22 was the most heinous terrorist act,” Kwatra said in an interview with CNN on Thursday.

”It is nobody’s case to say that these terrorists should be given a free pass, and that’s precisely what we did the day before yesterday, held them accountable,” Kwatra said and described India’s action as “a very precise, calibrated, measured response to these terrorists.” “We are at war with the terrorists, and we will, as I said, bring justice to the victims and hold them accountable,” he said, answering a question if India is at war with Pakistan. “Our foremost objective in this was (to) hold these lowlifes, subhuman monsters accountable and bring justice to the victims.” India’s High Commissioner to the UK Doraiswami, who was interviewed by a series of UK media outlets on Thursday to present India’s stance on the rising tensions between India and Pakistan, told ‘Sky News’ that the international community can intervene by pointing out the opportunity for an off-ramp to Pakistan.

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He displayed an image live on air of US-designated Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Abdur Rauf leading prayers for the terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor, also presented during a briefing by Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistry in New Delhi.

“Everybody knows that for the last 30 years, Pakistan has used this (terrorism) as a means of sub-critical warfare against India,” said Doraiswami.

“If the international community really wants to be able to look at this and worry about it, the simple solution is to tell Pakistan it has an opportunity for an off-ramp. These are things that the world should have compelled Pakistan to do 30 years ago, and to compel them to implement their promises about taking down this infrastructure. It has not done so,” he said.

Asked if India fears a further escalation of conflict in the region, the envoy asserted that the “original escalation” is Pakistan-sponsored terror groups attacking and shooting civilians in Pahalgam on April 22.

”Our response thereafter was precise, targeted, reasonable and moderate. It was focused principally and solely on terrorist infrastructure. We did not strike the Pakistani military establishment. We did not strike national infrastructure, and we made it abundantly clear… that the object of this exercise was clearly to avoid military escalation – a fact actually acknowledged in a left handed way, of course, by the Pakistani side in terms of their own official statements which said that the airspace hadn’t been violated,” said Doraiswami.

“The logical solution would be, as we’ve said repeatedly, for Pakistan to take the opportunity of an off ramp, which we have made abundantly clear, including this morning, that if Pakistan stops attacking our military facilities, the matter ends there, but it is for them to decide,” he said.

In his interview with CNN, Kwatra said that from a large number of Congressmen and Senators to the whole world, they all appreciate that India should respond and bring accountability for these terrorists and justice for the victims.

He said the terrorists killed the civilians in Pahalgam on the basis of religion, identifying and killing “all non-Muslims”.

“So what we did the day before yesterday was essentially our response to terror,” Kwatra said, adding that India’s response has been very measured, calibrated and proportionate.

Responding to a question on explosions being heard in Kashmir, Kwatra said Pakistan has again decided to stand with the terrorists. “Rather than take action against them, they are essentially lending them support,” he said.

To a comment that Pakistan has denied involvement in the attacks, Kwatra said that “denial and obfuscation” have always been the first part of Pakistan’s strategy.

“They have this unique characteristic where they assume responsibility of their past actions in future, not in the present moment,” the diplomat said as he asked where was Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who plotted the 9/11 attacks in the US, found… the killer of American journalist Daniel Pearl or perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks found? Responding to a question, Kwatra said that with Operation Sindoor, “we, from our perspective, had brought a certain finality to it, but it was, of course, subject to whether Pakistan has brought finality to it. Pakistan chose to escalate it further. Now it’s duty-bound for us to respond to that.” When asked how concerned the world should be that the tensions between India and Pakistan could escalate into a nuclear war, the Indian envoy said, “I think the world should be concerned about the fact that Pakistan’s support to terrorism and terrorist activities continues.” “I think that’s what the world should be concerned about. And I think that’s what the world should tell Pakistan – to stop supporting terrorism. I think that’s the crux of the question,” he asserted.

Tensions between India and Pakistan soared significantly following India’s Operation Sindoor on early Wednesday in response to the Pahalgam attack on April 22 that had cross-border linkages and Pakistan’s subsequent unsuccessful attempt to attack 15 Indian cities.

American Vice President JD Vance has called for de-escalation, while underlining that Washington was “not going to get involved in the middle of a war that’s fundamentally none of our business”.

Several countries have offered to mediate, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Thursday, days after visiting Pakistan.

Diplomats and world leaders have pressured both countries for restraint.

However, the International Crisis Group said “foreign powers appear to have been somewhat indifferent” to the prospect of war, despite warnings of possible escalation.

“A combination of bellicose rhetoric, domestic agitation and the remorseless logic of military one-upmanship have heightened the risks of escalation, particularly because for some time there was no diplomatic communication between the sides,” it said.

With inputs from agencies