Colombia withdraws statement on Pakistan casualties after Indian diplomatic intervention
New Delhi: In a diplomatic win for India’s global campaign against terrorism, Colombia has withdrawn its earlier statement expressing condolences to Pakistan following Operation Sindoor. The retraction came after a strong intervention from an Indian parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
During a press conference in Bogotá on Thursday, Tharoor voiced India's disappointment over Colombia's initial response. The statement had expressed sympathy for Pakistani casualties without acknowledging the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
“We were a little disappointed in the reaction of the Colombian government, which apparently expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism,” Tharoor said.
He emphasized India’s position unequivocally: “There can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who resist them. We are only exercising our right of self-defence, and we are here to dispel any misunderstanding about that.”
Following a meeting with Colombia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, the Indian delegation was informed that the Colombian government had reviewed and retracted the earlier statement.
Speaking to ANI, Villavicencio said that Colombia had now received detailed information about the Kashmir situation and would continue diplomatic dialogue with India.
Tharoor welcomed the diplomatic correction, stating, “The Vice Minister very graciously mentioned that they have withdrawn the statement that we had expressed concern about and that they fully understand our position on the matter, which is something we really value.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor wrote: “Began today with an excellent meeting with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, and her senior colleagues dealing with the Asia-Pacific. I expressed India's view of recent events and voiced disappointment at Colombia's statement on 8 May, conveying 'heartfelt condolences' to Pakistan. The Minister assured me that the statement had been withdrawn and that our position was now properly understood and strongly supported.”
The Indian parliamentary delegation, which has already visited Panama and Guyana, arrived in Colombia on Thursday. Their diplomatic tour will continue in Brazil and the United States, as part of India’s broader mission to consolidate global support for its zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
