Berlin —
India will never yield to nuclear blackmail and maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Friday, in a pointed message to Pakistan following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.
Speaking at a joint press conference with German counterpart Johann Wadephul during his Europe visit, Jaishankar asserted that India would engage with Pakistan solely on a bilateral basis.
“I came to Berlin in the immediate aftermath of India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Let me be clear: India has zero tolerance for terrorism and will never succumb to nuclear blackmail,” he said.
Jaishankar emphasized that there should be “no confusion in any quarter” regarding India’s position. “India will deal with Pakistan purely bilaterally,” he reiterated.
He also expressed appreciation for Germany’s recognition of a nation’s right to defend itself against terrorism.
India has intensified diplomatic outreach following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since declared a “new normal,” stating that any act of cross-border terrorism will be treated as an act of war.
