Rio de Janeiro: Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck out at Pakistan for being a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ during his address at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Drawing a distinction between victims and supporters of terror, he thanked the countries that stood by India and condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
“India is a victim of terror, while Pakistan is a supporter. Victims and perpetrators cannot be weighed on the same scale,” Modi said.
Following the Pahalgam attack, which was traced back to Pakistan-based terror outfits, India launched Operation Sindoor. This was primarily aimed at terror facilities inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Pakistan, however, retaliated with unsuccessful missile and drone strikes against Indian military and civilian targets. India was then forced to carry out precision strikes against Pakistan’s air defence systems and air bases.
This operation marked a significant escalation in India’s response to cross-border terrorism, reinforcing its zero-tolerance policy.
In his BRICS address, PM Modi emphasized the need for collective global condemnation of terrorism and warned against political and strategic justifications of terror.
“Any nation that remains silent or inactive for personal or political gain, despite knowing the truth, becomes complicit,” he said.
India also reiterated its long-standing position that Pakistan shelters terrorists as part of state policy, providing safe havens and financing terror operations in the region.
In its joint statement, the Rio de Janeiro Declaratio, the BRICS nations condemned terrorism unequivocally:
‘We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, during which 26 people were killed and many more injured. We reaffirm our commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the declaration stated.
Though Pakistan was not named directly, the declaration reaffirmed support for action against cross-border terrorism, terror funding and providing safe havens. .
“We call for an expeditious finalization and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN framework. We call for concerted actions against all UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities,” the declaration stated.
India will host the BRICS Summit in 2026, where counter-terrorism cooperation is expected to remain a priority agenda item. PM Modi signaled that India will continue to spearhead global efforts to isolate terror sponsors and push for multilateral frameworks to deal with extremism.
