Indian Envoy Slams Pakistan for Honouring Terrorists with State Funerals

India's High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, has sharply criticised the Pakistan Army for giving state funerals to proscribed terrorists, calling it a reflection of Pakistan's continued support for terrorism. He added that if Pakistan retaliates, India is fully prepared to respond.

Speaking to journalist Yalda Hakim on Sky News, Doraiswami presented a photograph of Hafiz Abdul Rauf — a US-designated terrorist — seen with uniformed Pakistani Army officials during a funeral procession for those killed in India's recent 'Operation Sindoor' strikes.

Doraiswami stated that for three decades, the global community should have pressured Pakistan to dismantle its terror infrastructure — a commitment it has consistently failed to uphold. “The issue ends the moment Pakistan stops targeting Indian military installations,” he remarked.

He further highlighted that the recent escalation began with a brutal attack by Pakistan-sponsored terror groups on civilians in Pahalgam on April 22. In response, India launched targeted military strikes which Doraiswami described as “precise, reasonable, and calibrated,” aimed at avoiding broader conflict. He also noted that Pakistan's own statements indirectly acknowledged that their airspace had not been violated.

“If you’re giving state funerals to known terrorists, what does that say about your system?” he questioned, adding that the international community still has an opportunity to offer Pakistan a peaceful "off-ramp" — a path away from continued hostilities.

Vinay Kwatra, India’s Ambassador to the US, echoed this stance, stating that Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes following Operation Sindoor were seen as acts in support of terrorism. He reaffirmed that India's goal is to dismantle terror networks and ensure justice — not to escalate tensions into full-scale war.

Kwatra detailed that the April 22 massacre, in which 26 Indian civilians were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists — some in front of their families — prompted India’s military action. He emphasised that India's response was "measured and focused" on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also used the same photograph of Pakistani officials attending the terrorists' funerals as evidence contradicting claims that the deceased were civilians. He stated bluntly that while Pakistan may glorify terrorists, India strongly rejects such narratives.

Tensions between the two nations spiked further on Thursday when Pakistan attempted missile and drone strikes on Indian military installations in Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur, and other locations — all successfully neutralised by Indian forces.

Sirens and explosions were reported in areas like Akhnoor, Samba, Baramulla, and Kupwara as Indian forces conducted extensive aerial surveillance along the border.

In retaliation, India carried out precision strikes on Islamabad, Lahore, and Sialkot, successfully downing a Pakistani F-16 over Rajasthan. Additionally, key air defence infrastructure in Lahore and Rawalpindi was targeted and destroyed, crippling Pakistan’s military preparedness.

These actions follow the launch of Operation Sindoor, during which India hit nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam massacre. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had claimed responsibility for the April 22 attack.