Darjeeling (West Bengal) [India], April 24 (ANI): Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and alleged that Pakistan has resorted to terrorism every time it feels that India is making progress.

'Their (Pakistan) effort is always to distract India, to weaken India, to ensure that the objectives that the people of India and the leadership have put into place are somehow you know stymied and somehow I think they want to reverse the clock through terrorism, and we've always seen that Pakistan has reverted to terrorism every time it feels that India is making progress whether it is 26/11, Puwama or Pahalgam...So a response to this has to be very, very strong, not just from India but from the entire international community,' Shringla told ANI.

He added that the Central government needs to make sure that Pakistan learn that terrorism does not pay and that India will not tolerate any acts of terrorism against its people.

'It is adequate to make sure that they (Pakistan) learn that lesson that terrorism does not pay. I don't think any country is interested in any conflict or war. We have always been for peace, but we will not tolerate any acts of terrorism against our people. I mean that is an absolute red line, and it is incumbent on us to act in conformity with that principle,' Shringla told ANI.

Shringla also praised the Cabinet Committee on Security's decision to censure Pakistan diplomatically.

'I think the Cabinet Committee on Security, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, has taken some very quick decisions to censure Pakistan diplomatically. One of these has been to put the Indus Waters treaty in abeyance, but also I think to cut down our diplomatic engagement with Pakistan, the High Commission's strength has been reduced. Military attaches on both sides have been asked to leave, and I think any loopholes in our visa system, including the SA visa system, have been curtailed. So in many senses, we have taken steps both to, I think diplomatically send a message to Pakistan, but also to enhance our security interests further,' he said.

Terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured, in one of the deadliest attacks in the valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. (ANI)