Washington D.C. | July 2, 2025 — In a powerful diplomatic move on Tuesday, the Quad grouping, comprising the United States, India, Japan, and Australia, demanded swift justice for the deadly militant attack in India-occupied Kashmir, where 26 people tragically lost their lives. The attack, which occurred on April 22 in Pahalgam, sparked intense cross-border hostilities between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan.
Although the Kashmir attack has reignited decades-old regional animosities, the Quad chose not to name Pakistan directly in their statement. However, the grouping strongly condemned terrorism and urged the international community to bring all involved in the incident to justice without delay.
Quad Condemns Terrorism and Calls for Accountability
The US State Department released the joint statement following a ministerial meeting of the Quad members in Washington. According to the declaration, the foreign ministers unequivocally denounced terrorism in all its manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, which has remained a key concern in the South Asian region.
“The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism,” the ministers emphasized in their statement. They further urged all UN member states to fully cooperate with relevant authorities in holding accountable the “perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of this reprehensible act.”
Although the statement deliberately avoided naming Pakistan, its message was clear and firm. The call for justice in the Kashmir attack marks yet another point of pressure in the already fragile diplomatic environment between India and Pakistan.
India, meanwhile, has squarely blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the Kashmir attack, a charge that Islamabad has vehemently denied. Pakistan has instead called for an impartial, international investigation into the incident, arguing that any unilateral accusations are politically motivated and lack evidence.
Escalation and Retaliation: A Brief Conflict
Following the Kashmir attack, violence quickly escalated across the Line of Control. On May 7, the Pakistani military shot down six Indian fighter jets after Indian forces allegedly bombed sites identified by New Delhi as “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistani territory. This swift retaliation led to a series of deadly skirmishes involving fighter jets, drones, artillery fire, and missiles.
These clashes resulted in dozens of casualties on both sides before a ceasefire took effect on May 10. Notably, US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire on social media, crediting his diplomatic intervention and suggesting that he had threatened to withdraw from trade talks to push the parties toward peace.
However, Indian officials have challenged this narrative. They maintain that India prefers bilateral engagement with Pakistan and does not acknowledge any external mediation. On Monday, India’s Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, reiterated that trade negotiations were not a factor in the ceasefire decision. “Relationships will never be free of issues,” Jaishankar noted, speaking about US-India relations, “but what matters is the ability to handle them and maintain a positive direction.”
Diplomatic Fallout at the SCO Summit
Further complicating regional diplomacy, a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting failed to produce a joint communiqué for the first time in years. India refused to sign the final statement due to the omission of language that would have acknowledged the Kashmir attack in Pahalgam. This rare instance of discord in the otherwise consensus-driven Eurasian bloc signaled growing divisions and India’s firm stance on highlighting terrorism as a central issue.
This move illustrates how the Kashmir attack continues to cast a long shadow over diplomatic forums and cooperative platforms. It also underscores India’s strategy to internationalize the security threat it perceives from Pakistan, despite Islamabad’s efforts to present itself as a partner in global counterterrorism.
Meanwhile, Pakistan insists on multilateral engagement and consistently calls for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute through dialogue and international cooperation. Still, India maintains that all matters related to Kashmir must be handled bilaterally without third-party involvement.
A Persistent Flashpoint
The Kashmir attack has once again placed the volatile region at the center of South Asia’s strategic calculations. While the Quad nations have signaled their commitment to fighting terrorism and upholding international security norms, the path to peace between India and Pakistan remains unclear.
Until both nations agree on a shared narrative and a framework for accountability, incidents like the Kashmir attack will continue to endanger regional stability. However, international efforts, especially by multilateral groupings like the Quad, could play a significant role in nudging both sides toward long-term peace and justice.
