India Faces Dispute with Pakistan over 'Pahalgam Terror Attack'
"Promise Not to Use Nuclear Weapons Preemptively"
Calls for South Korea's Support in UN Security Council and FATF
Sanjay Kumar Jha, a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament (center), is leading the "India Parliament Bipartisan High-Level Delegation" holding a press conference on the afternoon of the 26th at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Cha Minyoung
The "India Parliament Bipartisan High-Level Delegation" led by Sanjay Kumar Jha, a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, on the 26th called for the international community, including South Korea, to support sanctions against Pakistan, stating, "Terror and dialogue cannot coexist."
At a press conference held at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the same day, the Indian delegation stated, "India will only engage in dialogue with Pakistan when there is clear evidence that Pakistan has eradicated terrorism."
The delegation, which consists of five parties representing both the ruling and opposition sides in India, recently visited South Korea to request the international community's response and the Korean government's support regarding the "Pahalgam terror attack," which occurred on April 22 in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, resulting in 26 civilian deaths and 17 injuries.
After completing their two-day schedule in South Korea from May 25 to 26, the delegation, which arrived from Japan, will head directly to Singapore. The extensive tour covers a total of 33 countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Europe, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the Financial Times (FT) in the United Kingdom, Pakistan is also dispatching its own delegations around the world in response.
The Indian delegation stated, "When the terrorist attack occurred on April 22, India waited for two weeks for Pakistan's response," and added, "As there was no response, we directly attacked the terror infrastructure, resulting in no civilian casualties. Subsequently, Pakistan took retaliatory measures on the 10th."
Referring to their meetings during the visit, including with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, the Indian delegation said, "Those we met in Korea expressed support for India's counter-terrorism stance," and added, "Think tanks expressed significant concerns about nuclear issues, but while voicing worries about escalation, they also fully understood India's position."
Regarding international concerns about nuclear war, the Indian delegation cited India's "no first use of nuclear weapons" principle, stating, "Although we are a nuclear-armed country, we will not use nuclear weapons preemptively. We make this promise clearly."
The delegation further emphasized, "What happened in the Kashmir region (the armed conflict) involved conventional, traditional weapons," and added, "Neither side attempted to use nuclear weapons." However, they pointed out that if Pakistan were to use nuclear weapons preemptively, India would "maintain at least a minimum deterrence" and "demonstrate significant deterrent power."
Previously, the international community watched the armed conflict between the two countries with fear of a "nuclear war," as both are nuclear-armed states. This is also why countries such as the United States and South Korea quickly contacted both India and Pakistan to urge reconciliation. According to the Federation of American Scientists, as of 2024, the two countries are estimated to possess 172 (India) and 170 (Pakistan) nuclear warheads, respectively.
The Indian delegation's expectations for South Korea are clear. The delegation stated, "We hope that South Korea, as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, will support us," and added, "South Korea also plays an important role in the financial sector through the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), so we hope that Korea will join us in placing Pakistan on the blacklist (sanctions list) in the future."
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