NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday told the Lok Sabha that US Vice President JD Vance personally alerted Prime Minister Narendra Modi about a massive Pakistani attack just hours before it was launched on May 9.
Addressing the special debate on Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar said, “I’d like to inform the House that on May 9, Vice President JD Vance called the Prime Minister warning of a massive Pakistani attack expected in the next few hours. The Prime Minister, in his response, made it very clear that if such an attack occurred, it would be met with an appropriate response from our side. The attack did take place but was foiled by our armed forces.”
Jaishankar said the country witnessed a “new normal” in its response to cross-border terrorism and that India’s reply on May 10 was swift and devastating. “Every member has seen satellite pictures of Pakistani airfields. You can see from the state of those airfields what was our answer,” he added.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Precision strikes were carried out by Indian forces on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan retaliated with attempted attacks on Indian military positions on May 8, 9 and 10, which were repelled. A major missile aimed at the Adampur airbase was among the threats, but India’s air defence systems, including S-400 and Akash batteries, successfully intercepted them.
Jaishankar said the Indian military’s response included targeted strikes on Pakistani airbases, air defence units, command centres and radar sites. By May 10, under diplomatic pressure and facing heavy damage, Pakistan signalled its intent to halt the fighting. India, however, insisted that any request to cease hostilities must come via the official military channel. “On the 10th of May, we received phone calls sharing the impression of other countries that Pakistan was ready to cease the fighting. Our position was, if Pakistan was ready, we needed to get this as a request from the Pakistani side through the DGMO channel. That is exactly how that request came,” Jaishankar said.
He also rubbished claims that US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan or linked it to trade negotiations. “At no stage in any conversation with the United States was there any linkage with trade and what was going on. Secondly, there was no call between the Prime Minister and President Trump from the 22nd of April... till the 17th of June,” he said, dismissing Trump’s repeated assertions that he mediated the tensions.
Jaishankar also pointed out that Indian diplomacy helped secure overwhelming global support for Operation Sindoor. “There are 193 nations in the United Nations, only three countries apart from Pakistan opposed Operation Sindoor,” he noted, adding that countries recognised India’s right to defend itself.
He laid out a five-point doctrine that now defines India’s approach to cross-border terrorism: terrorists will not be treated as proxies; cross-border terrorism will be met with appropriate response; talks and terror cannot go hand in hand; India will not yield to nuclear blackmail; and blood and water cannot flow together.
As part of the post-attack response, Jaishankar informed the House that the Indus Waters Treaty has been put in abeyance until Pakistan ends its support to terrorism. “It was important to send a clear, strong and resolute message after the Pahalgam terror attack. Our red lines were crossed, and we had to make it very apparent that there would be serious consequences,” he said.
India also launched a global diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s long-standing support for terrorism. “Our task, from a diplomatic perspective, was to shape global understanding of the Pahalgam attack,” he said, adding that efforts were made to underline how the attack targeted Kashmir’s economy and attempted to sow communal discord.
Jaishankar’s remarks came in response to Opposition criticism, especially from Congress’ Gaurav Gogoi, who cited former US President Trump’s claim of having mediated a ceasefire using trade as leverage. The External Affairs Minister countered this by citing diplomatic records and communications, asserting that India’s position was consistent and based on military-to-military engagement, not third-party intervention.
Addressing the special debate on Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar said, “I’d like to inform the House that on May 9, Vice President JD Vance called the Prime Minister warning of a massive Pakistani attack expected in the next few hours. The Prime Minister, in his response, made it very clear that if such an attack occurred, it would be met with an appropriate response from our side. The attack did take place but was foiled by our armed forces.”
Jaishankar said the country witnessed a “new normal” in its response to cross-border terrorism and that India’s reply on May 10 was swift and devastating. “Every member has seen satellite pictures of Pakistani airfields. You can see from the state of those airfields what was our answer,” he added.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Precision strikes were carried out by Indian forces on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan retaliated with attempted attacks on Indian military positions on May 8, 9 and 10, which were repelled. A major missile aimed at the Adampur airbase was among the threats, but India’s air defence systems, including S-400 and Akash batteries, successfully intercepted them.
Jaishankar said the Indian military’s response included targeted strikes on Pakistani airbases, air defence units, command centres and radar sites. By May 10, under diplomatic pressure and facing heavy damage, Pakistan signalled its intent to halt the fighting. India, however, insisted that any request to cease hostilities must come via the official military channel. “On the 10th of May, we received phone calls sharing the impression of other countries that Pakistan was ready to cease the fighting. Our position was, if Pakistan was ready, we needed to get this as a request from the Pakistani side through the DGMO channel. That is exactly how that request came,” Jaishankar said.
He also rubbished claims that US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan or linked it to trade negotiations. “At no stage in any conversation with the United States was there any linkage with trade and what was going on. Secondly, there was no call between the Prime Minister and President Trump from the 22nd of April... till the 17th of June,” he said, dismissing Trump’s repeated assertions that he mediated the tensions.
Jaishankar also pointed out that Indian diplomacy helped secure overwhelming global support for Operation Sindoor. “There are 193 nations in the United Nations, only three countries apart from Pakistan opposed Operation Sindoor,” he noted, adding that countries recognised India’s right to defend itself.
He laid out a five-point doctrine that now defines India’s approach to cross-border terrorism: terrorists will not be treated as proxies; cross-border terrorism will be met with appropriate response; talks and terror cannot go hand in hand; India will not yield to nuclear blackmail; and blood and water cannot flow together.
As part of the post-attack response, Jaishankar informed the House that the Indus Waters Treaty has been put in abeyance until Pakistan ends its support to terrorism. “It was important to send a clear, strong and resolute message after the Pahalgam terror attack. Our red lines were crossed, and we had to make it very apparent that there would be serious consequences,” he said.
India also launched a global diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s long-standing support for terrorism. “Our task, from a diplomatic perspective, was to shape global understanding of the Pahalgam attack,” he said, adding that efforts were made to underline how the attack targeted Kashmir’s economy and attempted to sow communal discord.
Jaishankar’s remarks came in response to Opposition criticism, especially from Congress’ Gaurav Gogoi, who cited former US President Trump’s claim of having mediated a ceasefire using trade as leverage. The External Affairs Minister countered this by citing diplomatic records and communications, asserting that India’s position was consistent and based on military-to-military engagement, not third-party intervention.
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