All-party delegation led by Sanjay Kumar Jha meets South Korean Defence Chief in Seoul

Seoul [South Korea], May 26 (ANI): An all-party parliamentary delegation from India, led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, met with Sung il-Jong, Chairman of the National Defence Committee of South Korea's National Assembly on Monday, furthering India's diplomatic efforts to rally international support against terrorism in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

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The delegation is on a multi-national mission to strengthen the global narrative against cross-border terrorism and highlight India's zero-tolerance approach.

During a meeting with think tanks in Seoul, Congress leader and delegation member Salman Khurshid addressed the ongoing challenges in Jammu and Kashmir, attributing renewed terror activity to the region's positive trajectory. Khurshid stated, "This progress sounded unpleasant to the people across the border, who felt that they would lose fertile ground for their future activities. This was the time to strike."

He elaborated that adversaries sought to undermine India's efforts by targeting Kashmir's reputation for peace and tourism, adding, "When we were showing that everything was normal and tourists were coming in large numbers, they aimed to hit the spot to portray Kashmir as unsafe for tourists. This was a devious exercise against our successful attempts to normalise the situation and work towards growth and peace in Kashmir."

Khurshid's remarks underscored the complexity of maintaining peace and development amid persistent external threats. Addressing the Indian community in Seoul on Sunday, he highlighted India's restrained but firm military posture in response to provocations.

Khurshid explained that India's strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan were conducted with precision and only after provocation, always avoiding civilian areas and acting with restraint. He stressed that once provoked, India responded decisively, sending a clear message to those responsible and forcing Pakistan to call for a stop.

He also clarified that Operation Sindoor is ongoing, stating, "But we have to be careful, which is why the government very clearly said, we are not putting an end to the Operation Sindoor."

Khurshid further remarked on the global understanding of terrorism, saying, "We know this from our personal experience, and people of Jammu and Kashmir who are here know this from personal experience, but the world perhaps doesn't know it. Those countries that have suffered from terrorism have changed their attitude. But those countries that have been fortunate not to suffer at the hands of terrorists continue to make these distinctions between militants and terrorists, freedom fighters and terrorists, and therefore our narrative must continue."

The all-party delegation, which includes MPs from the BJP, CPI-M, AITC, and other parties, will continue its outreach in other East Asian countries. This mission is one of several launched by the Modi government as part of a coordinated diplomatic campaign following Operation Sindoor to inform global partners about Pakistan's links to terrorism and India's message of zero tolerance.

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. The operation targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists linked to groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)