NEW DELHI: The foreign ministers of the Quad countries, India, the United States, Japan, and Australia, strongly condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen.
In a joint statement issued after their meeting in Washington, D.C., the ministers called for the “perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay”.
While the statement urged all UN member states to cooperate under international law with efforts to investigate and prosecute those responsible, it notably stopped short of naming Pakistan, which India holds responsible for cross-border terrorism including Pahalgam attack.
The meeting, the second Quad foreign ministers’ gathering his year and the first since Operation Sindoor, was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
From India’s perspective, the explicit mention of the Pahalgam attack is significant. Ahead of the talks, Jaishankar had emphasised that India expected its Quad partners to recognize its right to defend its citizens against terrorism.
“We unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all their forms, including cross-border terrorism,” the statement read. The word cross-border terrorism for India denotes the terrorism directed against it from Pakistan
m and promoting a stable, rules-based Indo-Pacific order.
Beyond terrorism, joint statement highlighted concerns over security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. While avoiding direct reference to China, the ministers condemned “dangerous and provocative actions” in the South and East China Seas, including interference with offshore resource development, obstruction of navigation, and the use of water cannons.
“We are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region,” the statement said. The Quad reaffirmed support for international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and cited the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling as a basis for peaceful resolution of disputes.
The ministers also announced the launch of the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, plans for the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field training exercise, and the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership, which will be inaugurated in Mumbai later this year.
The outcomes reflect a strategic consolidation of the Quad’s dual focus: combating terroris
