Quad condemns Pahalgam attack, seeks action against perpetrators but no mention of any terror group

The Quad foreign ministers strongly condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack in a joint statement, calling for the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of the “reprehensible act” to be brought to justice without any delay. It also urged all UN States to cooperate with “all relevant authorities” in this regard, without naming Pakistan or India.

In his opening remarks at the meeting in Washington, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had said India expected Quad – a strategic grouping of leading maritime nations committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific – to understand and appreciate India’s right to defend its citizens from cross-border terrorism . This was the first Quad ministerial since the April 22 Pahalgam attack and the subsequent India-Pakistan conflict that ended with India’s bombing of Pakistan air bases.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, while injuring several others,” said the Quad statement, expressing deepest condolences to the families of the victims.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) statement condemning the attack in April seemed to have acted as a template for the Quad, the former having urged UN States to cooperate with all relevant authorities – without specifically mentioning India - in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSC resolutions. Like with the UNSC condemnation, there was also no mention of the perpetrator group – The Resistance Front (TRF) – in the Quad statement. As a non-permanent Council member, Pakistan had worked to water down the UNSC statement with support from Beijing.

“We call for the perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,” added the Quad statement.

Like in the past, the Quad ministerial unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, renewing commitment to counterterrorism cooperation .

Apart from India, Quad comprises the US, Australia and Japan, all of which had separately condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack. India, however, was keen that Quad do so in a joint statement for a more impactful response to Pakistan’s role in the attack and its support for cross-border terrorism.

It was a fair expectation, given Quad’s strong condemnation of cross-border terrorism in the past too, like after the foreign ministers’ meeting in Tokyo last year in July. On that occasion, Quad had strongly condemned 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks, calling for bringing the perpetrators of these attacks to justice without delay, and naming UN-proscribed groups including Pakistan-based JeM and LeT for concerted action against them by the international community. There was no mention this time of any Pakistan terror group or the Mumbai and Pathankot attacks in the Quad statement.