India will no longer tolerate “cross-border terrorism” and will respond to any future attacks, a senior Indian parliamentarian said, as a fragile ceasefire between his country and Pakistan continues to hold.
The warning follows a terrorist attack last month in the Pahalgam area of Indian-administered Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 civilians, including 25 Indians. India accused Pakistan of being behind the assault. Islamabad denies the claim.
“This cannot happen again and again. Everyone has a threshold, and this is ours,” Shrikant Shinde, an MP for India's Shiv Sena party, told The National. “This is the new normal: if they hit us, we will hit back. And we did, with restraint. Operation Sindoor was a measured response. We targeted only the camps of terrorist organisations.”
Mr Shinde this week led an eight-member delegation to the UAE as part of a diplomatic push to highlight India’s stance against cross-border attacks. It is one of seven all-party delegations dispatched to 32 countries to deliver the message.
This month, India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam attack. The military response included missile strikes on what India said were nine militant camps in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani officials said the strikes killed 31 civilians.
India and Pakistan fought for four days before a ceasefire was reached on May 10. The truce was announced by US President Donald Trump in a social media post and later confirmed by New Delhi and Islamabad, though each gave different accounts of how it was reached.
While Mr Trump asserted a key US role in brokering the deal, Pakistan credited the involvement of several governments. India, in line with its long-standing policy of viewing the Kashmir dispute as a bilateral issue, downplayed any third-party role.
“The ceasefire was a mutual agreement between India and Pakistan,” said Mr Shinde. “There’s an established mechanism and a hotline between the two countries. Pakistan contacted us and requested the ceasefire, and we responded positively.”
Both nations historically blame each other for initiating hostilities, while insisting their own actions are retaliatory.
Kashmir, claimed in full by India and Pakistan, remains the most contentious issue between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. They have fought two of their three wars over the region, and tensions have shaped their relationship through decades of conflict and suspicion.
‘Ball in their court’
While India and Pakistan have each claimed victory, some experts fear that a return to hostilities is almost inevitable. In a speech last week, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi insisted that the military offensive against Pakistani terrorist groups was ongoing and described the ceasefire as merely a pause.
“Pakistan has to make the choice now. The ball is in their court,” said Mr Shinde.
The UAE was the first stop on Mr Shinde’s four-nation diplomatic tour, which also includes Liberia, the Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.
During the visit, the delegation met with several UAE officials, including Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence.
The Emirates played a quiet role in helping de-escalate tensions after the Pahalgam attack. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, called for restraint and engaged repeatedly with both sides to prevent further military escalation.
“The UAE has a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism,” said Mr Shinde. “We are here to reinforce the fact that we all speak the same language when it comes to terrorism.”
India and the UAE share deep-rooted ties based on trade, cultural exchange and a large Indian diaspora.
Over the years, the bilateral ties between Abu Dhabi and New Delhi have evolved into a strategic partnership, with co-operation spanning energy, security and investment.
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force in 2022, has accelerated trade and investment flows. Mr Modi has visited the UAE seven times over the past decade.
“We are building major infrastructure − hospitals, roads − and attracting investment, including from the UAE, in Kashmir,” stated Mr Shinde. “This has created jobs and fuelled a tourism boom. Last year, we had 25 million visitors to Kashmir, and the economy has significantly improved.”
The MP believes the attack in Pahalgam was aimed at disrupting this progress.
“This is peak tourist season. Maybe the terrorists don’t like that Kashmir is thriving,” he said. “But what’s different now is that the people of Kashmir took to the streets to condemn the attack. The mood has changed.”
