India Rejects ‘India-Pak’ Hyphenation, Cites Global Support and UN Statement on Pahalgam Attack

India on Tuesday firmly rejected any equivalence or “hyphenation” between India and Pakistan in the global discourse on terrorism, asserting that there is growing international recognition that Indian civilians were victims of a cross-border terror attack in Pahalgam, and that Pakistan continues to serve as the epicentre of such violence.

Responding to queries on recent international statements, a senior official said, “On the contrary, there is widespread understanding in the world that Indian tourists were the victims of terrorism at Pahalgam and that the epicentre of terrorism is across the border in Pakistan.”

The official emphasized that several foreign leaders, in their private and public exchanges with Indian counterparts, have acknowledged India’s right to defend itself and protect its citizens.

Citing multilateral support, the official also referred to the United Nations Security Council’s press statement dated April 25, which condemned the attack in strong terms and underlined accountability. “The UNSC statement stresses ‘the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.’ It also states that ‘those responsible for these killings should be held accountable,’” the official noted.