New Delhi: In the wake of India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting terror infrastructure across the border, Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami has strongly refuted Pakistan’s allegations and escalation rhetoric, calling it an attempt to cover up support for terrorism.
In an interview with Sky News anchor Yalda Hakim on Thursday, Doraiswami questioned the basis of Pakistan’s retaliatory stance, stating, “What are they retaliating about?” He argued that Pakistan’s reaction essentially confirms its links with the terror groups India had targeted.
“They (Pakistan) are retaliating against attacks on terrorism infrastructure… What does that tell you of their relationship with the terror groups?” he asked, drawing attention to Islamabad’s indirect admission.
Doraiswami emphasized that the initial provocation came from Pakistan, referring to the recent massacre of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, a scenic destination that turned into a site of carnage.
He clarified that India’s strikes were “precise, targeted, reasonable and moderate”, and carefully planned to avoid hitting military or national infrastructure, thereby attempting to prevent a wider escalation.
In a pointed reference to Pakistan’s claims of shooting down Indian aircraft with Chinese-made fighter jets, Doraiswami said,
“If it satisfies Pakistan’s ego to say that they’ve done something, they could have used that as an off-ramp to move on. Clearly, they’ve chosen not to, and they’ve chosen to escalate the matter.”
He also highlighted that even Pakistani statements acknowledged India had not violated airspace, indirectly validating the limited and targeted nature of India’s operation.
Responding to Islamabad’s threats of further escalation, Doraiswami warned that “We will respond proportionally and in exactly the same light.” He also mentioned Pakistan’s artillery fire along the Line of Actual Control (LoC) over the past fortnight, which has already resulted in civilian casualties.
