Shashi Tharoor ‘Disappointed’ by Colombia’s Condolences for Pak Deaths After Op Sindoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, currently spearheading a multi-party Indian delegation, on Friday expressed disappointment over the Colombian government’s condolence message for Pakistani casualties following India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’. Addressing the media in Colombia, Tharoor asserted that there can be no moral equivalence between terrorists and those defending their nation against such threats.

“We were a little disappointed in the reaction of the Colombian government, which apparently expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism,” Tharoor stated. He emphasized the delegation’s intent to clarify India’s position.

“We will say to our friends in Colombia, there can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who resist them. There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend,” Tharoor declared. He underscored that India was “only exercising our right of self-defence, and if there is any misunderstanding here on this core, we are here to dispel any such misunderstanding.”

Tharoor explained that India’s counter-terrorism measures were a direct response to a brutal terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. This attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), identified as an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). “We’re very happy to talk to Colombia in some detail about the circumstances. Just as Colombia has endured many terror attacks, so have we in India. We have endured a very large number of attacks for almost four decades,” he added, drawing parallels with Colombia’s own struggles.

The Congress leader highlighted that the primary aim of the Indian delegation’s visit is to foster a clearer understanding of India’s stance. “We are here looking for understanding… We have the impression that perhaps the situation was not fully understood when that one statement (Colombia extending condolences for deaths in Pakistan) was made,” Tharoor remarked. He also urged global powers to pressure nations that provide safe havens to terrorists, stating, “We certainly hope that other governments will tell those who give safe haven and protection to terrorists to stop doing so.”

Addressing speculation about third-party involvement in de-escalating recent India-Pakistan tensions, Tharoor firmly dismissed any formal mediation involving India. “We received a number of phone calls from senior United States officials and also from senior officials of other countries (France, UAE, Saudi Arabia). And the message we gave to all these countries was exactly the same. We are not interested in war. We were just doing retribution for a terrorist attack. If they stop, we stop,” he clarified. He added, “Certainly there was no sort of active process of mediation that we are aware of. Certainly nothing involving us.”