Nikki Haley backs India’s right to retaliate, says Pakistan can’t play victim

Taking a clear stance against Pakistan, she added, “Pakistan does not get to play the victim. No country gets a pass for supporting terrorist activity.”

Amidst heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, former U.S. presidential candidate and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley has come out in strong support of India’s response. In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Haley wrote, “Terrorists launched an attack that killed dozens of Indian citizens. India had every right to retaliate and defend itself.”

Taking a clear stance against Pakistan, she added, “Pakistan does not get to play the victim. No country gets a pass for supporting terrorist activity.” Her comments come days after India carried out Operation Sindoor, a tri-services precision strike targeting terror infrastructure across the Line of Control, in retaliation to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, most of them civilians and tourists.

Terrorists launched an attack that killed dozens of Indian citizens. India had every right to retaliate and defend itself.Pakistan does not get to play the victim. No country gets a pass for supporting terrorist activity.
Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) May 8, 2025

Reiterating India’s official position, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday clarified that the recent military operation was a measured response, not an act of escalation. “Our approach is not to escalate the situation. We only responded to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack,” he said during a media briefing.

Misri said that the choice to de-escalate now lies with Pakistan, since it was the April 22 terror attack that altered the status quo. “Pakistan escalated the situation. We only responded. The choice is now with them,” he stated.