EAM S. Jaishankar stresses terrorism as a global issue

Terrorism should be addressed as a global issue rather than a bilateral problem, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, as he highlighted the historical connection of many of the terror-related incidents globally to Pakistan.

Addressing the Indian community members from Belgium and Luxembourg on Monday, Jaishankar apprised them of India's counter-terrorism efforts to ensure progress and prosperity.

Talking about Operation Sindoor which was launched after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, Jaishankar said during his talks with Belgian counterpart Maxime Prevot, he mentioned the 2016 Brussels attack to "drive home the point that look, terrorism is not, you know, a particular country's problem." "Don't look at this, because often, you know, the media, which is not always free of bias, tends to present it saying, you know, there is an India, Pakistan issue, or, you know, this is about Kashmir," he said.

"What distinguishes this challenge is often in different countries, you know, a group does it...It is very rare to have a country which openly uses it as a state policy," Jaishankar said.

This is something people in Europe have to understand because that is not their experience, he said.

"Terrorism happens here, but no European country, or no neighbour of a European country, does terrorism as a...declared policy of their country, and I spent some time trying to make them understand," he said.

"The messaging that on an issue like terrorism,...don't treat it as an issue between two countries. I don't think this is just India's problem. I mean, if you look, in fact, at the history of terrorism over the last 20-30 years, so many of these incidents eventually end up in Pakistan. The fingerprints, the trails, somebody from there comes down, you know, all this," Jaishankar said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7.

The on-ground hostilities from the Indian and Pakistan sides that lasted for four days ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.