New Delhi, May 05, 2025 (ANI): On International support to India over Pahalgam terror attack, Former Indian Ambassador Jitendra Nath Misra said that although initially after the atrocitiy, the support was framed as support for India in countering terrorism but now call are for restraint and de-escalation. He said, “Initially after the atrocitiy, the support was framed as support for India in countering terrorism… but now after explicit Pakistani threat to deploy full spectrum of their capabilities, the international communities got alarmed at the prospect of escalatory cycle that could go out of control…. Means it could have very severe repercussion, not just for India & Pakistan, but for the world at large. So now call are for restraint and de-escalation.”
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00:00On the contrary, India is getting only qualified support.
00:04Initially, after the atrocity, the support was framed as support for India in countering terrorism.
00:14Absolutely, that's correct. That remains.
00:17But now, after the saber-rattling by Pakistan and explicit Pakistani threats
00:24to deploy the full spectrum of their capabilities, strategic capabilities,
00:31and I think you know what I'm talking about,
00:33the international community is alarmed at the prospect of an escalatory cycle
00:39that could go out of control, which means that it could have very severe repercussions,
00:46not just for India and Pakistan, but for the world at large.
00:51So, therefore, now the calls are for restraint and de-escalation.
00:57In fact, the three major countries, the three permanent members of the UN Security Council
01:04and three of the most important, perhaps the three most important partners of India,
01:11the United States, China, and Russia, have made almost identical statements.
01:16Of course, the United States Defense Secretary, according to the Indian readout,
01:22but not the U.S. readout, has said that we have a right to self-defense.
01:27Remember that in 2019, after Balakot, Mike Pompeo, who was the U.S. Secretary of State at that time,
01:38had said explicitly that India has a right to self-defense,
01:41and that had, according to many observers, encouraged India to do the Balakot action
01:48because it had the diplomatic cover.
01:50But right now, India does not have that kind of diplomatic cover.
01:54And today, the matter will be discussed in the United Nations Security Council
01:58at the request of Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member.
02:03So, we don't know where it's going to lead.
02:05Therefore, kinetic action by India seems to be something still on the table,
02:11but kinetic action has to be immediate.
02:14Before others scramble to enforce some kind of diplomacy,
02:18a diplomatic process, and put pressure on India,
02:21India perhaps might have done it very quickly.
02:24But that window might have gone.
02:26But I'm not saying it won't happen.
02:28It might still happen.
02:29Or, these countries, apart from China, of course,
02:33might be advising India privately, I don't know,
02:39but it is pure speculation on my part,
02:42that, you know, you can do kinetic action,
02:45but it should be limited,
02:47and it should not lead to a spiral of escalation,
02:50and then bring some kind of pressure on India and Pakistan to de-escalate,
02:55so that India can satisfy its very angry domestic opinion.
03:00So, I'm not in agreement that India is getting terrific support
03:05from all over the world on this issue.
03:06It's getting less support than in 2019.