‘Measured and Justified’: Former Envoy G. Parthasarthy Backs Operation Sindoor as Firm Response to Terror Aggression

May 7, 2025: Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, G. Parthasarthy, has strongly endorsed India’s precision military strikes under Operation Sindoor, calling them a proportionate and justified response to the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. He clarified that the operation was not an invasion but a carefully calibrated military action targeting known terror camps.

Speaking on Wednesday, Parthasarthy stated, “This was not a large-scale invasion. No ground forces were involved. These were precise airstrikes on established terrorist havens. When Indian civilians—tourists—are killed by Pakistan-based terrorists in the Himalayas, the government must respond. This was a clear response to aggression by Pakistan.”

On April 22, a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 civilians and injured many others. In retaliation, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, a joint strike by the Army, Navy, and Air Force between 1:05 am and 1:30 am on Wednesday, targeting nine terrorist installations—four in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

Parthasarthy did not hold back in his assessment of Pakistan’s current military leadership, saying, “The new Pakistani army chief is erratic and lacks the composure of his predecessors. During my tenure, especially around the Kargil conflict, engagements with Pakistani military leadership were tough but civil. That’s not the case anymore.”

The Indian Armed Forces later provided detailed insights into Operation Sindoor. In a briefing held in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh laid out the strategic objectives behind the operation and confirmed the destruction of all targeted sites.

Colonel Qureshi identified key camps that were neutralized:

• Sarjal Camp, Sialkot: Known for training terrorists involved in previous killings of police personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Mehmoona Joya Camp, Sialkot: A major base of Hizbul Mujahideen responsible for directing attacks in the Kathua region and previously implicated in the Pathankot Air Force base attack.
• Markaz Taiba, Muridke: A training ground for terrorists involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
• Markaz Subhanallah, Bahawalpur: Headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh emphasized that all locations were chosen based on intelligence to avoid civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.

When asked about the road ahead, Parthasarthy concluded, “As long as Pakistan continues to sponsor terrorism, India will be compelled to respond. This cycle can only end when cross-border terrorism does.”