External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar has made it clear that India will not let concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons stop it from acting against cross-border terrorism.
Speaking to an American magazine at One World Trade Center near the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan, Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism, according to IANS.
He stressed that India will neither spare militants nor go easy on countries that shelter or support them. “We will not allow nuclear blackmail to deter us from taking necessary action,” he said.
Challenging the longstanding global narrative urging restraint between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, Jaishankar said, “We’ve heard this too often – that since both countries are nuclear-armed, India should hold back while the other side keeps provoking. That logic no longer applies. If they act, we will respond.”
Jaishankar further asserted that militancy must not be treated as a proxy tool of foreign policy. “There will be no immunity for terrorists. No more pretending they are just proxies. And we will not let nuclear threats tie our hands. We will defend our people,” he said.
He called on the global community to adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, warning that using it as a strategic tool would eventually backfire. “Terrorism threatens everyone. It should never be used to pursue political goals,” he said, referencing India’s long history with terrorism dating back to just after Independence.
