‘Asking a thief to probe his own crime’: FS Misri slams Pakistan’s joint probe call during MP briefing on terror outreach

New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) In a bold diplomatic initiative following ‘Operation Sindoor’, India has rolled out an unprecedented global campaign to expose Pakistan’s direct and indirect links to terrorism. Under the banner of "Operation Sindoor Outreach", seven high-level delegations comprising 59 Members of Parliament, including former ministers, seasoned diplomats, and senior political leaders, are set to travel to 33 countries between May 21 and June 5. 

The initiative, steered by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), is a first-of-its-kind multi-party foreign engagement effort aimed at presenting a unified national front against terrorism and internationally isolating Pakistan for its continued sponsorship and sheltering of terror networks.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Tuesday held detailed briefings for three of the seven outgoing delegations. According to sources, Misri laid out India’s position with clarity: "India has been facing cross-border terrorism for over four decades. We have adopted a new normal in countering such activities. There is no room for ambiguity or appeasement."

Referring to Pakistan’s offer of a joint probe into the recent Pahalgam attack, Misri rejected the idea outright. "Asking Pakistan to co-investigate terror attacks on Indian soil is like asking the thief to investigate his own crimes."

Each delegation is equipped with classified dossiers and intelligence material, laying out Pakistan’s military and ISI’s role in fostering terrorism, including direct evidence from Operation Sindoor, which recently struck terror launchpads across the Line of Control (LoC).

The MPs, supported by senior Indian diplomats, will engage with foreign governments, parliamentarians, media, civil society, Indian diaspora, and international institutions, including the United Nations. They are expected to provide first-hand accounts and documented proof of Pakistan’s terror infrastructure, including its involvement in supporting groups like LeT, JeM, and sheltering global terror fugitives.

The campaign spans strategic capitals — from Tokyo to Washington, Brussels to Jakarta — and is designed to convey a simple, urgent message: "Terrorism anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere, and India will not stand alone in this fight."

By involving opposition leaders and regional party MPs alongside ruling party members, the government seeks to reinforce the message that India’s stand against terrorism is bipartisan, national, and non-negotiable.

Operation Sindoor Outreach represents not only India's diplomatic resolve but a message to the world — that safe havens for terrorists must end, and those enabling them must be held accountable.