FS Vikram Misri to brief Shashi Tharoor-led parliamentary panel on India-Pakistan, Operation Sindoor today

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will brief Congress leader Shashi Tharoor-led parliamentary committee on the India-Pakistan military conflict that happened in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor today, 19 May.

The multi-party Parliamentary Standing Committee on external affairs has summoned Misri for a briefing on the 'current foreign policy developments regarding India and Pakistan'. The briefing is scheduled at 4 pm today.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of the Indian armed forces carrying out Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent military actions between the two countries. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on halting all military actions on May 10.

This is the first time a top government ofcial will be appearing before a Parliamentary panel to brief about the situation in the country in the aftermath of Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists on 22 April in Jammu and Kashmir.

Misri along with Colonel Soya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh briefed media after India conducted 'Operation Sindoor' targeting nine terrorist hotspots in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied-Kashmir on 7 May in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

What is expected in the briefing?

The IFS ofcer, who was hailed for the handling of India's public outreach, had faced online trolls after he made the media announcement about ceasere on 10 May.

Besides Tharoor, the other members in the 31-member panel on external affairs include Ravishankar Prasad and Sudhanshu Trivedi (BJP), Deepender Hooda (Congress), Abhishek Banerjee (Trinamool Congress), Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) and John Brittas (CPIM).

The Parliamentarians are expected to quiz Misri on the foreign policy initiatives taken by the government after the Pahalgam terror strike. US President Donald Trump took the credit for the ceasefire and claimed his role in mediation and using trade to bring both India and Pakistan on table.

Misri also expected to brief the panel about sending seven delegations to 32 countries and the European Union in the next three weeks to campaign against Pakistan’s sponsorship for cross-border terrorism and explain to them about why India was forced to take military action against its neighbour.

(With PTI inputs)