Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said India will no longer take the first step in normalising relations with Pakistan, citing a long history of 'betrayals' and urging the neighbouring country to demonstrate genuine intent by dismantling terror networks operating from its soil.
Speaking at the launch of “Whither India-Pakistan Relations Today?”, an anthology edited by former ambassador Surendra Kumar, Tharoor said that any future dialogue depends on Pakistan’s willingness to crack down on terror outfits.
“Given Pakistan’s record, the onus is on them,” Tharoor said. "
Why can’t they shut down these terror camps? Everyone knows where they are. The UN even lists them.”
Citing past Indian outreach efforts from Nehru’s 1950 pact with Liaqat Ali Khan, Vajpayee’s 1999 Lahore visit, to PM Modi’s surprise 2015 stopover, Tharoor said all were followed by hostilities or terror attacks.
Referring to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, he noted that India had shared “overwhelming evidence” of Pakistani involvement, but “not one mastermind has been prosecuted”.
He said India showed restraint then, but repeated provocations led to actions like the 2016 surgical strikes and ‘Operation Sindoor’.
Tharoor also dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of brokering peace post Operation Sindoor. “It was the strikes on May 9-10 and the successful interception of Pakistani missiles that led to their DGMO calling for a ceasefire, not Trump,” he said.