MBABANE – The High Commissioner of India to Eswatini, Shri N. Ram Prasad, updated the media on India’s handling of Operation Sindoor on Tuesday where he basically said that Pakistan was put under its watchful eye.
Operation Sindoor, was the Indian military attack on Pakistan launched on May 7 targeting what was described as terrorist camps and hideouts in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan’s Punjab province.
Prasad who hosted a press conference at his offices located at the United Nations Building, Mbabane, said India successfully executed the operation in a retaliation of the April 22 attack by terrorists belonging to The Resistance Front (TRF) where 26 tourists were shot dead in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Prasad said TRF claimed responsibility right after the attack.
According to the High Commissioner, as a retaliation Operation Sindoor ‘is not yet over’ and Pakistan’s behavior and action continue to be kept under watch.
He said the Pahalgam attack was the biggest attack on Indian civilians since November 26, 2008 which was executed in Mumbai. Following the strikes into Pakistan, Pakistan retaliated on May 9, where the Indian military said their military facilities, schools, colleges, places of worship and homes were targeted through shelling.
However, on May 10, India again responded, significantly hitting 11 Pakistani military installation bases before a ceasefire was reached by both sides.
Prasad said as far as Eswatini was concerned about Operation Sindoor, condolences were issued by His Majesty King Mswati III and the government to India and its people ‘and condemned in the strongest possible terms, the brutal and senseless act of terrorism and that such acts of violence were an affront to humanity which cannot be justified under any circumstances.,
“We are thankful and grateful to His Majesty King Mswati III and the people of the Kingdom of Eswatini for the solidarity with India and condemnation of the terrorist act in Pahalgam,” Prasad said.
Prasad said it was necessary for India to launch the operation after the Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s warning ‘to terrorists and their handlers in Pakistan that a strong response was inevitable was watered down.
Prasad said India first hit, with precision strikes, nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, seeing that there was no response. The sites included the headquarters of terror organisations including the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT) in Bahawalpur and Muridke, altogether eliminating 100 terrorists, Prasad said.
“India had targeted only the terrorist strongholds and carefully ensured that the military and civilians were not targeted. Our response to Pakistan’s escalation through the terrorist attack at Pahalgam was non-escalatory, measured, and proportionate. The same was communicated to the Pakistani side, with the clear intention not to escalate the hostilities,” Prasad said.
Prasad said that Operation Sindoor has established a new normal that India does not distinguish between Pakistan’s establishment and Pakistan sponsored terrorists attacking India.
“Through Operation Sindoor, India has conveyed that we will not be subjected to nuclear blackmail and would not allow terrorism to be perpetrated under this cover by the Pakistani establishment. During his address to the Nation on 12 May 2025, Prime Minister Modi declared that Operation Sindoor is now India’s established policy in the fight against terrorism and any future terrorist attack on India from Pakistan will be responded to accordingly,” Prasad said.
The High Commissioner announced the three terms under which Pakistan is placed by India:
- any terrorist attack on India will be met with a befitting response;
- any attempt to use nuclear blackmail as a shield for terrorism will not be accepted, and;
- there is no distinction between terrorists and their sponsors.
During the answer and question session, Prasad said that it was necessary to update the press corp now after all official reports have been handled in India. He also said that was necessary to dismantle all mis-information and disinformation around Operation Sindoor. Prasad disputed any use or potential use of nuclear strikes during the operation.
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