Quad falls short of naming Pakistan for abetting cross-border terrorism

A joint statement of the Quad foreign ministers, who met in Washington on Tuesday, is significant not only for what it contains but also for what it doesn’t. The grouping of four premier democracies — India, the US, Australia and Japan — has unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism and violent extremism, including cross-border terrorism, and renewed its commitment to counter-terrorism cooperation. It’s a morale-booster for India that the Quad has condemned the Pahalgam terror attack “in the strongest terms” and called for the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of this “reprehensible act” to be brought to justice. These remarks are in tune with the UN Security Council’s stand that those responsible for the April 22 killings should be held accountable.