Quad leaders condemn Pahalgam attack, call for perpetrators to be brought to justice – OXBIG NEWS NETWORK

Amid sustained Indian pressure over terrorism originating from Pakistan, the four-nation grouping ‘Quad’ has strongly condemned the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam and called for action against its perpetrators, organisers, and financiers — without directly naming Pakistan.

The Foreign Ministers of the Quad — comprising the United States, India, Japan, and Australia — met in Washington DC on Tuesday and issued a joint statement that addressed global terrorism, with specific reference to the Pahalgam attack.

The joint statement, posted on the US State Department’s website, declared: “(We) unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renew our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation.”

It further stated: “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.”

India has consistently accused Pakistan of aiding, abetting, financing, and providing logistical support for the attack.

While the Quad’s statement did not explicitly name Pakistan, it made its position clear by referencing “cross-border terrorism” and then immediately condemning the Pahalgam attack.

The statement also called for the perpetrators to be held accountable: “We call for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay.”

The Quad also 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.”

Pakistan is a UN member state and currently holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for a fixed term.

The meeting was attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.

The Quad Foreign Ministers play a key role in steering the grouping’s agenda, which culminates in an annual leaders’ summit attended by the heads of government of the four countries — the US President and the Prime Ministers of India, Japan, and Australia.