JMM MP Sarfaraz Ahmad, who is part of the all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, issued a strong warning on Wednesday (local time), asserting that India would not hesitate to respond decisively to terrorist attacks like the April 22 Pahalgam incident, declaring that the country “will not listen to anyone” when it comes to defending its national security.
Ahmad, while addressing the Indian Diaspora in Panama City, highlighted India’s unified stance on national security, emphasising targeted anti-terrorism operations and the country’s long-standing struggle against terrorism.
“When this Pahalgam attack took place, the government held two big meetings with leaders and delegations… Leaders of all political parties said that whatever steps the government wants to take to eliminate these things, we are all with them… As Shashi ji explained, we never killed civilians but only targeted specific places where terrorism was brewing… The government has sent these seven multi-party delegations to other countries to tell them that if such acts happen again, we will not listen to anyone and will retaliate accordingly,” the JMM MP stated.
He further countered narratives of communal division, emphasising India’s pluralistic identity while addressing the global context of terrorism, drawing parallels with the post-9/11 awakening in the US.
“Our country has been facing the problem of terrorists for years… After 9/11, America also found out what terrorism is… Small countries in this world have been facing these things for a long time… But I know this much: that after Indonesia, India has the highest Muslim population… Those people opted that even after the formation of Pakistan, they considered India as their country,” he added.
Ahmad is part of the delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor that includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), G M Harish Balayagi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Bhubaneswar K Lata (BJP), Tejasvi Surya (BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora.
The delegation aims to brief international partners on India’s response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in the United States, Guyana, Panama, Brazil, and Colombia. (ANI)
