New York [US], July 1 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday (US local time) inaugurated an exhibition at the United Nations on 'The Human Cost of Terrorism'. In the exhibition he brought to attention how terrorism is a grave threat to humanity and how it must be dealt with an iron fist, with the world to come together and stand against issues such as impunity to terrorists and not yielding to nuclear blackmail.

At the exhibition, he reminded how the United Nations Security Council had issued a strong condemnation of the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack, which took place on April 22 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7.

The Indian Armed Forces carried out targeted strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

In his remarks at the UN headquarters, EAM Jaishankar had said, 'Terrorism is one of the greatest threats to humanity. It is the antithesis of everything that the UN stands for, human rights, rules and norms, and how nations should conduct their dealings with each other. When terrorism is supported by a state against a neighbour, when it is fuelled by the bigotry of extremism, when it drives a whole host of illegal activities, it is imperative to call it out publicly. And one way of doing so is to display the havoc that it has wreaked on global society.'

He further added, 'Five weeks ago, the United Nations Security Council issued a strong condemnation of a particularly horrific act of terrorism in Pahalgam. It demanded that its perpetrators be held accountable and brought to justice. We have since seen that happen. What that response underlines is the larger significance of the message of zero tolerance for terrorism. The world must come together on some basic concepts: no impunity to terrorists, no treating them as proxies, and no yielding to nuclear blackmail. '

In his concluding remarks, he said, 'Any state sponsorship must be exposed and must be counted. By now, we know well that terrorism anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere. Let that understanding guide our collective thinking and response. This exhibition is a fitting reminder of the challenge before us'.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is visiting the US at the invitation of US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio to participate in the QUAD Foreign Minister's Meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said in an official statement.

Last week on Thursday (US local time), during the US State Department's briefing, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State Tommy Pigott had said regarding the meeting that the summit would build on the momentum to 'advance a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.'

The QUAD is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States committed to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient. The QUAD's origins date back to our collaboration in response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. (ANI)