NEW DELHI, May 19: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday said the probe has revealed that terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack “communicated with masterminds in Pakistan”.
“UN-designated terrorists roam freely in Pakistan, continue to incite violence against India,” he further told the panel.
“Nexus evident among terrorists, military intel agency, civilian administration of Pakistan,” he added.
Noting the neighbouring nation’s “track record” in terrorism, he called the terror infrastructure “well established, rooted in solid facts and evidence”.
His remarks come amid the recent arrest of 12 individuals, including a YouTuber from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, over the past two weeks on espionage charges. Ongoing investigations suggest the emergence of a Pakistan-linked spy network operating across northern India.
He further informed the panel that the India-Pakistan conflict remained strictly within the conventional domain, with no indication of nuclear signaling from Pakistan.
Reaffirming India’s stance on truce, he said that the decision to halt military operations was made bilaterally. This came after the opposition demanded answers over US President Donald Trump’s claim that he helped the two nations reach a ceasefire deal.
The Parliament’s standing committee on external affairs, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, convened with participation from several prominent lawmakers. Attendees included TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, Congress leaders Rajeev Shukla and Deepender Hooda, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, and BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi and Arun Govil.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, launched by the Indian Armed Forces in response to the Pahalgam attack and the ensuing military escalation between India and Pakistan. Tensions de-escalated after both countries reached a mutual understanding on May 10 to halt all military actions.
During the operation, forces targeted nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, neutralizing nearly 100 terrorists. The hideouts of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen were also destroyed.