Baijayant Panda-led delegation briefs EAM Jaishankar on anti-terror diplomacy tour

BJP MPs Baijayant Panda, Rekha Sharma and Democratic Progressive Azad Party Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad leave after meeting EAM Jaishankar on Tuesday.

An all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda on Tuesday briefed External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on their recent international visits aimed at promoting India's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism.

The MPs shared feedback from their engagements abroad, highlighting support received from India's international partners.

Former Foreign Secretary and delegation member Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the meeting with the EAM at South Block was "quite fruitful."

"The meeting was really good; feedback was given to the External Affairs Minister. All delegation members shared their views, and I think the minister got the feedback from the mission as well. But this time, the delegates have shared it first-hand," Shringla told reporters after the meeting.

"He (EAM Jaishankar) said that the journey was quite successful, our objectives were completed, and he congratulated the delegation members and leaders," he added.

Apart from Panda and Shringla, the delegation included BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, and Rekha Sharma; AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi; and Satnam Singh Sandhu and Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The delegation, during their visit, engaged with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria, and briefed India's international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, as well as its broader fight against cross-border terrorism.

The delegation returned from Algeria on Tuesday. Indian Ambassador to Algeria, Swati Vijay Kulkarni, praised the strong support extended by the North African country in combating terrorism.

"During their visit to Algeria, they had very successful and productive engagements. They had two important meetings... During all these engagements, Algeria strongly condemned terrorism. They said that Algeria stands with India on the issue of terrorism. They also said that Algeria will take only the side of justice. So, we are very happy that they have given a very clear and strong message for India to remain united on terrorism," Ambassador Kulkarni said.

Before departing Algeria, Shringla also emphasised the importance of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in curbing terror financing, particularly in Pakistan.

"The issue of terrorist financing was very much a part of all of our conversations. The leader of our delegation and individual members also explained that as long as Pakistan was on the grey list of the FATF, they were responsive; they were forced to be responsive and to the extent that Sajid Mir, a very wanted person under the UN Security Council's list, had been declared dead by Pakistan but when the FATF took up the issue and there was some serious financial pressure brought to bear on Pakistan, then they declared that he was alive," he said.