Quad ministers condemn Pahalgam attack but stops short of naming Pakistan

WASHINGTON, JULY 2 (DNA): The Quad grouping of the United States, India, Japan and Australia called on Tuesday for the perpetrators of Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to be brought to justice without delay.

The April 22 attack sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry as India blamed it on Pakistan without offering any evidence.

Pakistan denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation into the deadly attack.

The US State Department issued a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the grouping, who met in Washington, but stopped short of naming Pakistan or blaming Islamabad.

“The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism,” the ministers said in the statement.

They called on all members of the United Nations to cooperate actively with “all relevant authorities” in delivering justice to the “perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act”, without any delay.

Last month, Pakistan and India engaged in the military confrontation triggered by April’s Pahalgam attack in IIOJK.

In response to the Indian aggression, Pakistan’s armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action, named “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos”, and targeted several Indian military targets across multiple regions.

Pakistan downed its six fighter jets, including three Rafales, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.

The ceasefire was first announced by US President Donald Trump on social media after Washington held talks with both sides, but India has differed with Trump’s claims that it resulted from his intervention and threats to sever trade talks.

However, Pakistan has acknowledged Trump’s efforts and formally recommended him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in defusing tensions between Pakistan and India last month.