Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, speaking at the Centre on Foreign Relations in Washington DC on June 5, 2025, made strong statements emphasising that India's conflict is not with Pakistan as a nation or its civilians, but with terrorism emanating from its territory.

Tharoor categorically stated, “This is about India versus terrorism,” clarifying that India’s military responses are targeted at terror bases, not at Pakistani civilians, and are a direct reaction to Pakistan’s continued failure to dismantle terrorist safe havens and arrest their leaders.

Tharoor highlighted the asymmetry in the India-Pakistan conflict, explaining that while India’s actions are precise and calibrated, focusing on terror infrastructure, Pakistan’s retaliatory actions often harm civilians due to the absence of terror bases in India. He remarked, “There are no terror bases in India to hit. There are no terrorist organisations in India listed in the UN or the State Department anywhere else. So, what do you hit? You hit civilians, you hit innocent people. That is the asymmetry of this particular conflict”.

He further criticised Pakistan for not shutting down terrorist organisations, not arresting their leaders, and not freezing their financial assets. Tharoor argued that if Pakistan refuses to take such actions, India is left with no choice but to act against terror bases to protect its citizens, stating, “We are not going to sit back at our homes and be hit at your convenience. That's not going to happen”.

Referring to the recent Pahalgam terror attack, Tharoor suggested that such incidents are often motivated by internal dynamics within Pakistan, particularly the military’s desire to bolster its image amid economic stagnation and political turmoil. He noted that the Pakistani army, facing unpopularity and a stagnant economy, may seek to provoke conflict to declare victory and distract from domestic issues.

Tharoor also addressed the rhetoric from Pakistan’s military leadership, calling out a recent statement by the Pakistani army chief that questioned the ability of Muslims to live in non-Muslim majority countries. Tharoor countered this by highlighting the peaceful coexistence of 200 million Muslims in India, including members of his own delegation.

He dismissed Pakistan’s claims of inflicting significant damage on India, pointing out the lack of credible evidence and the use of unrelated videos to support such assertions.

Tharoor stated, “There is absolutely no evidence that Pakistan has been able to advance in support of its claim to have magnificent victories and great damage on India and so on. Absolutely no evidence. Two videos came out on social media, both turned out to be from other conflicts in other years, nothing to do with this one”.

Tharoor’s remarks reinforced India’s stance that its actions are a response to terrorism, not a campaign against Pakistan or its people. He called on Pakistan to take concrete steps against terrorist groups operating from its soil, stressing that India will continue to defend itself as long as such threats persist.

Based On ANI Report