'If US can extradite terrorists, why can’t ...?': Indian envoy to Israel demands Pakistan hand over terror leaders

Quoting PM Modi, Singh reasserted, “Blood and water cannot flow together.”

India’s Ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, has called for a global alliance against terrorism while asserting that Operation Sindoor is “paused” but “not over.”

In a detailed interview with Israeli news channel i24 on Monday, Singh demanded that Islamabad hand over Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad leaders, including Hafiz Saeed, Sajid Mir, and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, similar to the recent U.S. extradition of 26/11 accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

Discussing the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, Singh said India’s military response targeted terror outfits and their infrastructure. “Our objective was clear: eliminate terror and dismantle its roots. Pakistan retaliated by targeting our military installations,” he noted.

Further, on being asked whether or not the conflict has ended, Singh stated the ceasefire is holding, but Operation Sindoor has only been paused. “The fight is far from over. We’ve established a new normal - a doctrine of proactive strikes. Wherever terrorists exist, we will act,” he said.

Israel's ties with India go beyond tourism and fighting terrorism, but also economy and technology'The Israeli ecosystem has strengths, we have strengths, we just need to combine them there's a great future,' Indian Ambassador JP Singh (@indemtel) tells @laura_i24pic.twitter.com/YvlliY7z3O

i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) May 19, 2025

Singh also hailed India’s early morning strike on Pakistan’s Nur Khan airbase on May 10 and remarked that it dramatically shifted the equation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. “It created panic. Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) immediately reached out to seek a ceasefire,” he said, describing the strike as a “game changer.”

Also speaking on the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), Singh stated that India had decided to suspend the pact because its guiding principles, “goodwill and friendship”, were never honored by Pakistan. “For decades, India let water flow, while Pakistan sent terror in return,” Singh said.

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he reasserted, “Blood and water cannot flow together.”

“Terror must stop for the IWT to function,” Singh said, adding that “another IWT is now operational — India’s War Against Terrorism.”

He also urged Pakistan to act, citing the long-pending demand to extradite the masterminds of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

“Despite international pressure, Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed, and others still roam free,” he said, questioning Pakistan’s sincerity.

The ambassador dismissed Pakistan’s offer to investigate the Pahalgam attack as a distraction. “What happened to the Mumbai, Pathankot, and Pulwama investigations? We provided dossiers, evidence, even U.S. intelligence. Still no action.”

Singh appealed to the global community, especially countries like Israel that face similar threats, to join India in forming an international coalition to fight terrorism and its enablers. “We must expand diplomatic cooperation, intelligence sharing, and coordinate efforts,” he said.

Concluding with India’s firm stance, Singh reiterated: “Our Prime Minister has made it clear — we have zero tolerance for terrorism. Cross-border terror will not be tolerated.”