The Congress on Thursday said Pakistan was not diplomatically isolated after Operation Sindoor in the manner it was after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. The party claimed that Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir later received strong backing from US President Donald Trump.
Marking one year of Operation Sindoor, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said several developments linked to the military operation and the subsequent ceasefire continued to raise questions.
Jairam said the first announcement regarding the ceasefire on May 10, 2025, was made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 5.37 pm IST. Rubio, he said, had claimed that intervention by US President Donald Trump helped bring about the halt in hostilities.
The Congress Rajya Sabha MP alleged that Trump had repeated the claim several times in different countries and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had never publicly rejected it.
He also referred to remarks made by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan in Singapore on May 30, 2025, where he had said India suffered initial setbacks due to tactical mistakes before correcting them and later carrying out precision strikes inside Pakistan.
The Congress leader further cited comments made by the Defence Attache at the Indian Embassy in Indonesia during a seminar in Jakarta on June 10, 2025, where it was stated that India lost aircraft on May 7 because of operational constraints imposed by the political leadership.
He also referred to remarks made by Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt General Rahul Singh on July 4, 2025, regarding China’s role during the conflict. According to Jairam, Singh had pointed to Beijing providing Pakistan with equipment, ammunition, satellite imagery and real-time targeting support during Operation Sindoor.
The Congress leader alleged that despite these concerns, the government’s approach towards China had remained unchanged. He cited issues related to patrolling rights in Ladakh, rising imports from China and relaxation in foreign direct investment norms.
Jairam said that despite India’s diplomatic outreach after the operation, Pakistan did not face the kind of international isolation witnessed after the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Instead, he claimed, Pakistan’s military leadership received support and praise from sections of the US establishment.
Drawing a comparison with the aftermath of the 1999 Kargil War, Jairam said the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had constituted the Kargil Review Committee within days of the conflict ending. The four-member panel, chaired by strategic affairs expert K Subrahmanyam, submitted its report, titled “From Surprise to Reckoning”, in January 2000. The report was later tabled in Parliament.
Jairam also shared on social media a screenshot of Rubio’s post announcing the ceasefire between India and Pakistan on May 10, 2025, along with video clips of remarks made by General Chauhan and Lt General Rahul Singh.
