Pakistan military, terror groups, and civilian agencies in direct nexus: Foreign Secretary to Parliamentary Panel

New Delhi, May 19 : The Pahalgam terror attack was directed from across the border, with terrorists in direct communication with masterminds in Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on Monday, according to sources.

In a detailed and hard-hitting briefing, Misri laid bare Pakistan’s entrenched role as a terror sanctuary, citing concrete findings from the investigation into the Pahalgam massacre. UN-designated terrorists, he said, continue to operate freely on Pakistani soil, actively inciting violence against India, according to sources.

The foreign secretary reportedly described a clear and institutional nexus between Pakistani terror outfits, military intelligence agencies, and elements of the civilian administration. “The evidence is not anecdotal but rooted in solid facts,” sources quoted him as saying. He added that no other country has any locus standi to interfere in matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, asserting India’s sovereign position.

Amid questions from committee members, Misri also confirmed that India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor was entirely conventional in nature. “India did not target any nuclear infrastructure in Pakistan, and there was no nuclear threat or signalling from the Pakistani side,” sources said.

Misri dismissed claims of former US President Donald Trump, who suggested via social media that he mediated the ceasefire. “There was no foreign mediation. The ceasefire was a bilateral decision between India and Pakistan,” he told the panel, as per those present. “Trump simply jumped in to grab the spotlight.”

Addressing controversy around External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s earlier remarks, Misri clarified that the statement was misunderstood. It pertained specifically to the first phase of Operation Sindoor, when India struck nine terror camps on May 6-7, and informed Pakistan post-facto.

The committee, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, unanimously passed a resolution condemning online trolling of Misri and his family, showing cross-party support for India’s top diplomat.