Quad condemns Pahalgam terror attack, calls for perpetrators to be punished

WASHINGTON, DC: The Quad members unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms, the Joint Statement from the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting stated.

The members, referring to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

“The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renews our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation. 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. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to all those injured,” the statement said.

“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,” the statement added.

The statement also highlighted that the Quad launched the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative to strengthen economic security.

“In the face of these challenges, we are proud to announce today key initiatives that the Quad is advancing to strengthen maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and support humanitarian assistance and emergency response across the Indo-Pacific. We are launching today the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, an ambitious expansion of our partnership to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify critical minerals supply chains,” the statement said.

The leaders also launched Quad Critical Minerals Initiative to strengthen logistics and also planned to launch Quad Ports of the Future Partnership in Mumbai.

“We continue to deepen our cooperation on maritime law enforcement cooperation through regional training initiatives, maritime legal dialogues, and Coast Guard cooperation. We plan to host the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field training exercise this year to strengthen shared airlift capacity and leverage our collective logistics strengths to respond to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently, providing support for regional partners. We also plan to launch the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership in Mumbai this year,” the statement said.

The statement further said that the countries have contributed to coordinate responses in the event of natural disasters in the region. For example- to support communities affected by the earthquake that struck central Myanmar in March 2025.

“We continue to coordinate rapid responses to regional disasters and collectively contributed over USD $30 million in humanitarian assistance to support communities affected by the earthquake that struck central Myanmar in March 2025. We will continue to counter foreign efforts to push false narratives and interfere with Quad interests in the Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.

The members said that the Quad is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“As the Quad continues to evolve, our four democracies remain committed to deepening our cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and ensuring our cooperation has an enduring impact on the region’s top challenges and opportunities in the 21st century. We look forward to the next Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by India later this year and the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting hosted by Australia in 2026,” the statement said.

The statement said that the Quad was concerned about the crisis in Myanmar in the region.

“We remain deeply concerned by the worsening crisis in Myanmar and its impact on the region. We call on the regime to adhere to its commitment to a ceasefire, and call on all parties to implement, extend and broaden ceasefire measures. We reaffirm our strong support for ASEAN’s efforts, including calling for the full and effective implementation of the Five Point Consensus in seeking an inclusive, durable, and peaceful resolution to the crisis. We call on all parties to allow safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance. We are also concerned about the impact of the crisis on regional security and the spread of transnational crimes. We are committed to fighting cybercrime and online scam operations,” the statement added.

The statement was agreed upon by the Secretary of State of the United States, the Foreign Minister of Australia, the External Affairs Minister of India, and the Foreign Minister of Japan after the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Tuesday. (ANI)