'Original escalation by Pakistan, India only responding': MEA briefs media on Operation Sindoor

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri laid out India's position on the recent escalation with Pakistan at a special briefing by MEA

In a sharp and fact-backed press conference, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri laid out India's position on the recent escalation with Pakistan, reiterating that India's response has been “non-escalatory, precise, and measured,” targeting only terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Misri, flanked by top security officials including Col Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh, categorically dismissed Pakistan's allegations of targeting civilian areas as “absolute and complete fabrication and blatant lie.” He said, “We have only targeted terrorist infra and details have already been shared. This kind of claim is a pretext to target Indian infrastructure of a similar nature.”

India’s Position on Escalation

On the nature of India’s military action post the Pahalgam attack, Misri said that India's strikes were aimed solely at terror launchpads. “Our intention is not to escalate matters and we are only responding to the escalation. No military targets have been targeted; only terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan has been hit,” he said.

Targeted Attacks on Indian Civilians

Foreign Secretary Misri also highlighted Pakistan's attacks on civilians, saying, “Pakistan launched a targeted attack on the Sikh community in J&K. Three individuals were killed in that particular attack.” He added that since Thursday morning, a total of 16 civilians have been killed and 59 injured in Pakistani retaliatory fire along the Line of Control.

Pakistan's Global Terror Ties

Vikram Misri didn't hold back in exposing Pakistan’s longstanding sheltering of internationally proscribed terrorists. “Pakistan is home to a large number of UN proscribed terrorists including Jaish and Lashkar, including Masood Azhar and Hafeez Saeed,” he said.

He referred to past incidents like the Mumbai and Pathankot attacks, stressing that India had fully cooperated by sharing concrete forensic evidence and forming joint investigation teams, but Pakistan did little. “We shared all details and evidence of office bearers of Jaish-e-Mohammed. But no movement on that. Experience has not been positive and does not give us confidence. Pakistan uses the evidence we provide to cover its tracks and defend terrorists we are looking for,” Misri said.

TRF, denial and hypocrisy at UNSC

Misri also took aim at Pakistan’s stance at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), where it tried to distance itself from The Resistance Front (TRF), despite the group having twice claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. “When talks were going on about Pahalgam at the UNSC, Pakistan opposed the role of TRF. This is after TRF claimed the responsibility of the attack not once, but twice,” he noted.

He called out Pakistan’s denial of the presence of terror groups within its territory as “false,” revealing that when a Pakistani official claimed in an interview that there were no terrorists in Pakistan, “he was challenged by the media channel.”

“Several terrorist attacks around the world have Pakistani fingerprints,” Misri said bluntly.

Visual Proof

In another damning statement, Misri presented visual evidence showing state funerals for terrorists in Pakistan. “State funerals have been conducted for terrorists in Pakistan,” he said, even displaying a photograph of a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander leading funeral prayers, underscoring the country’s open support for terror figures.