JK News Today Perspective
The Quad – Quadrilateral Security Dialogue -foreign ministers on Tuesday -July 1 , 2025, unequivocally condemned Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 and called for action against its perpetrators and financers , leaving no one in doubt to whom they were referring to , without naming the country. It was clear from the joint statement of the foreign ministers of this grouping that the country in question is Pakistan.
At the same time it was a stunning snub to 10-member grouping Shanghai Cooperation Organization ( SCO) that on June 26 did not include Pahalgam attack in the joint statement , owing to Chinese pressure . China is an all-weather friend of Pakistan . That act was a demonstration of the double-standards of China on terrorism. The SCO violated its own charter of fighting terrorism to ensure security and peace in the world.
The Quad comprises India, the US, Australia and Japan . It is committed to international peace and security . Though it is not as structured as NATO , but it has its big standing in the global affairs, as America , the superpower and India, the most populous and the fastest growing economy are its members .
This statement issued by Quad after the meeting its foreign ministers – Marco Rubio of the US, Penny Wong of Australia , S Jaishankar of India , and Iwaya Takeshi of Japan , stated quite clearly : “ The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations , including cross-border terrorism , and renews our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation .”
Regarding Pahalgam , the Quad members did not mince words as they said : We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam , Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen , while injuring several others .We our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to all those injured. “
This part of the joint statement of the QUAD foreign ministers is without even an iota of ambiguity . It reflects the global concern over the terrorism and violent extremism .
Pahalgam became a template of economic warfare that the backers of the terrorists launched in Kashmir, where tourism is integrated into the ethos of the place and people . It was a clear design to inflict economic wounds as also to sow communal discord .
This can happen anywhere in the world. This has set a precedent for targeting the tourist places across the globe. Unfortunately , it all started with the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir .
It’s not that Jammu and Kashmir, and the rest of the country did not experience and suffer terror attacks in the past . The number of such assaults runs into hundreds . J&K , in particular, has been the victim of terror incidents , varying in brutalities . While the Indian nation recalls terror assault at the Parliament when it was in session in December 2001, and the horrific Mumbai terror attack, equivalent to the Parliament attack of December 2001, and 26/11 Mumbai attacks .In terrorism shadowed daily life . It paralyzed normalcy and distanced the concept of normalcy with each passing day, infusing acute sense of helplessness. The Valley of nearly 7 million people has become a captive of the ecosystem of terrorism.
Intensified anti-terror operations , launched after the abrogation of the Article 370 on August 5, 2019 , neutralized not only the terrorists but also stuck hard at its ecosystem . The result was return of normalcy and economic boom Kashmir had been missing for over three decades-. Those curtains were drawn on the dark era that started in 1989 because of the systemic fault lines and Pakistan’s proactive approach in fomenting troubles in the place.
The normalcy in Kashmir opened up many opportunities for the youth in Kashmir. Tourism became a pivot.. The tourism was being talked about all across the country and abroad. Foreign countries were astonished at the turnaround in the situation . Loss of tourism serves best interests of organizers and financers of terrorism, because that helps them to place terrorism in the landscape .It disturbs the internal peace , economy and replaces opportunities with frustration and helplessness, and that becomes the breeding ground for recruitment of the youth in terror ranks.
The most operative part of QUAD foreign ministers joint statement is : “We call for the perpetrators , organizers , and financers of the reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urged all UN Member States , in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.” This is an echo of what India has been saying all along .
