Shashi Tharoor Cites Lashkar Link and Visual Evidence in Pahalgam Attack Briefing to Media

During a press interaction with leading Guyanese media outlets, Indian Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor, who is currently heading a multi-party parliamentary delegation to Latin America and the Caribbean, offered a pointed and evidence-based response to questions on Pakistan’s alleged role in the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking in his capacity as delegation leader under India’s diplomatic initiative Operation Sindoor, Tharoor referenced claims by The Resistance Front (TRF), a known affiliate of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba, which publicly took responsibility for the April 22 attack. The TRF has been designated by Indian authorities as a proxy group operating under the Lashkar umbrella with ideological and logistical links across the border.

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When asked directly about evidence of Pakistani complicity, Tharoor highlighted a reported image showing uniformed Pakistani military and police personnel attending the funeral of an individual identified by Indian intelligence as a terrorist operative involved in the broader network behind the Pahalgam strike. “There is both operational and symbolic evidence here,” Tharoor told the media, “and it’s difficult to dismiss the implications of official presence at such an event.”

His comments were made during a high-profile media briefing in Georgetown, part of India’s effort to communicate its counter-terror position across multiple regions. The Indian delegation’s visit to Guyana followed meetings with Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, both of whom expressed support for India’s stance on terrorism.

Embassy officials in Guyana confirmed that the media briefing was held to articulate India’s concerns about cross-border terrorism and to provide factual clarity on the security landscape following the April incident. The broader diplomatic effort, they noted, aims to ensure that international partners are well-informed about the evolving nature of threats and India's call for accountability within global counter-terror structures.

Tharoor’s remarks were measured but assertive, consistent with the diplomatic tone India has adopted during the Operation Sindoor campaign. His reference to publicly available claims and visual evidence reflects an approach grounded in information transparency rather than speculative accusation. Indian officials say such exchanges are intended not to escalate rhetoric, but to ensure partners understand the security realities that underpin India’s diplomatic urgency.

The Georgetown engagement is one of several stops in a high-tempo itinerary for the all-party delegation, which has combined public messaging, government-level meetings, and diaspora outreach to consolidate India’s global positioning against terrorism. While the delegation includes multiple political voices, Tharoor — a former UN diplomat — has taken a visible lead in media-facing roles, drawing on his experience in international discourse.

India’s broader strategy, as articulated by the Ministry of External Affairs, rests on the twin pillars of unified domestic political consensus and targeted international persuasion. Operation Sindoor, launched after the Pahalgam attack, has mobilized Indian lawmakers across party lines to communicate a singular message: that state-sponsored terrorism poses a global threat and requires a unified, rules-based international response.

The delegation has now left Guyana and has landed in Panama for similar outreach.