'Terrorists talked to masterminds in Pakistan': Foreign secretary Vikram Misri briefs Parliament panel on Pahalgam attack probe | India News - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Foreign secretary
Vikram Misri
on Monday briefed the Parliamentary panel on
Pahalgam
attack investigation. He said that the probe revealed that terrorists involved in the
attack
"communicated with masterminds in Pakistan", PTI reported citing sources."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.Follow live updates on India-Pakistan newsHe further informed the panel that the India-Pakistan conflict remained strictly within the conventional domain, with no indication of nuclear signalling 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 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 terrorists 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.Also read: Parliamentary panel condemns trolling of FS Vikram Misri after India-Pakistan ceasefire