Foreign Secretary slams Pakistan's terror denial, exposes state funerals for militants killed in Operation Sindoor

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri exposed Pakistan’s denial of terrorism links, highlighted state funerals for militants killed in Operation Sindoor, and detailed India's precision strikes on terror targets in PoK and Pakistan following Pahalgam attack.

Image Credit: ANI

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday strongly criticized Pakistan's denial of involvement in terrorism, citing concrete examples of its support for proscribed terror groups and individuals. Speaking at a joint press briefing at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Misri underscored Pakistan's history of harboring terrorists and its attempts to deflect responsibility following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

“Pakistan is trying to wash its hands off any involvement with terrorism,” Misri said, referring to remarks by Pakistan’s Information Minister who recently claimed there are no terrorists in Pakistan. “He was challenged on that during a television appearance,” he added, underlining the disconnect between Pakistani claims and reality.

Misri displayed a photograph of Pakistan Army personnel attending the funerals of those killed in India’s Operation Sindoor, pointing out the irony of terrorists being accorded state honours and coffins draped in Pakistani flags. “It’s odd that the funerals of supposed civilians are being held with national flags and full state honours,” Misri said. “Giving state funerals to terrorists may be a practice in Pakistan, but it doesn’t make sense to us.”

He clarified that all Indian strikes on May 7 targeted terrorist infrastructure with precision. “The individuals eliminated at these facilities were terrorists. If only civilians were killed, then what does this photo of state funerals say?” he questioned.

Responding to allegations that India attacked religious sites, Misri called the claim “completely false.” He said, “Yesterday, Pakistan launched a targeted attack on the Sikh community in Jammu and Kashmir, hitting a gurdwara in Poonch, killing three individuals. In total, 16 civilians were killed in Poonch and several others were injured.”

He emphasized Pakistan’s long-standing reputation as the “epicentre of global terrorism”, pointing to international instances where Pakistani involvement has been documented. “There is no need to remind this audience where Osama Bin Laden was found and who called him a martyr,” Misri added.

He also exposed Pakistan’s inconsistent narrative regarding terrorist Sajid Mir, saying, “They claimed he was dead, came under pressure, and then suddenly, he was arrested and is now in custody.”

Misri further noted that even Pakistan’s own officials have recently acknowledged ties to terror groups, stating, “You must have seen in the last few days, their Defence Minister and former Foreign Minister accepted their country’s involvement with such terror groups.”

Expressing lack of faith in Pakistan’s willingness to cooperate, Misri dismissed its call for a joint investigation into the Pahalgam attack: “Our experience has not been positive. We do not have confidence in Pakistan’s claims of wanting to participate sincerely in any investigation.”

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, conducting a coordinated assault using long-range precision strike weapons to destroy nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Over 100 terrorists were reportedly eliminated, including at locations linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Later that night, Pakistan attempted retaliatory strikes on Indian military targets across Northern and Western India, including Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, and Bhuj. These attacks, largely carried out using drones and missiles, were neutralized by India’s Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems.

Debris from the intercepted attacks is being recovered, confirming Pakistan’s involvement. India’s S-400 Sudarshan Chakra air defence systems successfully destroyed several incoming threats.

On Thursday morning, Indian forces launched additional strikes on Pakistan’s Air Defence radars, with reports indicating that an Air Defence system in Lahore has been neutralised. According to sources, the Indian response has been measured and proportional, matching Pakistan’s aggression “in the same domain and with the same intensity.”

An official confirmation from the Government of India is awaited, while Operation Sindoor remains ongoing, making it difficult to confirm the exact number of terrorist casualties at this time.