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Shashi Tharoor Recalls Pathankot Attack at NYC Event, Condemns Pakistan’s Failure to Act Against Terror
In a powerful address at a community event hosted in New York, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor revisited a pivotal moment in India’s modern diplomatic and security history—the 2016 Pathankot terror attack. Tharoor, who is part of one of the multi-party delegations deployed globally to highlight India’s anti-terrorism stance, took aim at Pakistan’s insincerity in countering terrorism, even when given historic opportunities for cooperation.
Recalling the chain of events leading up to the January 2016 terror strike, Tharoor brought attention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan on December 25, 2015, to meet his then-counterpart, Nawaz Sharif. “It was a final opportunity for Islamabad to demonstrate that it was serious about fighting terrorism,” Tharoor said. Instead, that moment of diplomatic outreach was followed by betrayal.
Pathankot Attack: A Breach of Trust
On January 2, 2016, merely a week after Modi’s outreach, four heavily armed terrorists infiltrated the high-security Pathankot Air Force base in Punjab. The base, part of the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command, came under fire in a pre-dawn attack launched by militants belonging to the United Jihad Council. The gun battle lasted over three days, resulting in the deaths of four terrorists, two Indian soldiers, and a third security official who later succumbed to his injuries.
What followed shocked the Indian military establishment. In a rare gesture of cooperation, India allowed a Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) access to the airbase to conduct a probe. However, the Pakistani team allegedly turned the narrative, suggesting that Indians had staged the attack themselves.
“In an unprecedented move, our Prime Minister even invited Pakistani investigators to participate in the investigation. And yet, they returned and blamed India for the attack,” Tharoor recalled. “This moment confirmed for us that 2015 was the final chance for Pakistan to show sincerity. After that, we knew their promises to fight terror were hollow.”
Tharoor’s Comments Echo India’s Larger Diplomatic Push
The New York event was part of a broader Indian initiative involving seven multi-party delegations traveling to over 30 countries. Their mission: to raise awareness about cross-border terrorism, promote India’s zero-tolerance stance, and expose Pakistan’s alleged role in harboring and sponsoring terrorist activities.
Organised by the Consulate General of India in New York, the interaction drew members of the Indian-American community, journalists, and international policy experts. Tharoor made it clear that India has always preferred peace and diplomacy. “We didn’t want to start anything,” he said. “We were just sending a message to the terrorists.”
A Coordinated Global Strategy Against Terrorism
This initiative is not limited to the U.S. In Bahrain, another Indian delegation led by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi briefed Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa about the threats India faces. Owaisi underscored the ideological parallels between Pakistan-backed terrorism and global jihadist movements like ISIS, saying, “There is no difference between Pakistani terrorists and ISIS takfiri ideology.”
In South Korea, JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha engaged with the Indian diaspora, outlining India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. He provided details of Operation Sindoor, the precision airstrikes conducted on May 7 against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
In another key diplomatic visit, NCP MP Supriya Sule led a team to Qatar, meeting lawmakers including Dr. Hamda Al Sulaiti of the Shura Council, emphasizing India’s commitment to global counter-terrorism. Simultaneously, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi headed a delegation in Slovenia under the outreach titled “Taking Bharat’s Message to the World.”
All delegations consistently described the Indian diaspora as a “force multiplier” in this global campaign, urging them to influence political narratives in their countries of residence in favor of India’s anti-terror stance.
India’s Strong Unified Message
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar acknowledged the significance of the coordinated delegations, posting on social media platform X: “India stands together in declaring zero tolerance for terrorism.”
These efforts come at a time of heightened tension between India and Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam attack. The subsequent airstrikes and retaliatory attempts between May 7 and 10 threatened to escalate, but were de-escalated after talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) on May 10.
Shashi Tharoor’s address in New York serves as a reminder of India’s strategic shift—from reactionary defense to proactive global diplomacy—delivering a strong, unified message: India will not tolerate terrorism and is determined to call out its enablers on the world stage.
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