Jaishankar rebuts Cong charge, tells MP panel that Pak was informed after Op Sindoor was over

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
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Laying to rest controversy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday informed a parliamentary panel that Pakistan was informed only after the arial strike dismantled nine terrorist camps on May 7.

Jaishankar, said sources, used the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on External Affairs meeting which he chaired, to rebut Congress claim that the Minister told Pakistan before the actual military operation began to strike the terrorist camps in Punjab province of Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Describing Congress allegations as misrepresentation of facts and dishonest, he also clarified that he never spoke to Islamabad and demystified the air about alleged US “interference” to halt military operations from both sides. The Minister reiterated before the parliamentarians that the decision to end military hostilities was taken bilaterally after a request from the Pakistan DGMO.

At the meeting to halt firing, the Indian DGMO told his Pakistani counterpart that if they fire, India would also retaliate, he said before parliamentarians.

Jaishankar on May 15 said, “At the start of the operation, we had sent a message to Pakistan saying we are striking at terrorists’ infrastructure. We are not striking at the military. So the military has an option of standing out and not interfering in this process. They chose not to take that good advice.”

Later, it was clarified that what he meant was the early phase of the Operation Sindoor.

Congress leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi has led from the front to attack the External Affairs Minister on the issue and said that it was a “crime” “informing Pakistan at the start of India’s attack”.

Without sharing much details, the Minister posted on X: “Chaired the Consultative Committee Meeting of MEA this morning in Delhi. Discussed Op Sindoor and India’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Underlined the importance of sending a strong and united message in that regard.”

He also denied US mediation in the cessation of the firing though President Donald Trump repeatedly spoke that he influenced both the neighbouring countries to put an end to it.

The Minister, however, informed the MPs that America was urging India to speak with Pakistan and it was told that terror and talks would not go together.

He said the targeted strikes at terror camps in Pakistan also hit the morale of Pakistani forces.

MPs are also said to have raised questions over IMF funding to Pakistan and India abstaining from voting.

While Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistry gave a presentation on Operation Sindoor to the MPs at the meeting, Jaishankar responded to queries later.

They said the Congress also raised concerns over Pakistan’s growing relationship with China.

Published on May 26, 2025