US' approach to Pak terror raises questions on Quad's effectiveness

The fact that a Quad foreign ministers' meeting was held a day after Mr Trump was sworn in for a second term and talks began for a New Delhi summit later this year is seen as a sign of hope

The joint statement at the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington has reflected India’s concern about cross-border terrorism by condemning “in the strongest terms” the terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 25 Indians. This is the first Quad foreign ministers’ meeting since Operation Sindoor. The emphatic language of the condemnation would be gratifying for India after Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s impassioned appeal for the Quad to understand India’s right to defend itself against terrorism. Mr Jaishankar’s eloquence was aimed at the United States (US); given the nature of the current administration in Washington, achieving this shared objective could become challenging.