Tokyo [Japan], May 22 (ANI): An All-Party Parliamentary delegation from India, led by Sanjay Kumar Jha, Member of Parliament, is visiting Japan from May 22 to 24, 2025. The visit follows the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, with counterterrorism cooperation central to discussions, an official statement from the Indian Embassy in Tokyo said.

On the first day of the visit, the delegation met Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. At the beginning of the meeting, Iwaya expressed heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Pahalgam attack and extended sympathies to those injured. He said terrorism cannot be justified in any form and conveyed Japan's solidarity with India and the international community in the fight against terrorism, the statement added.

Jha described the Pahalgam incident as a nefarious attempt to disturb development and peace in Jammu and Kashmir. He said India responded through Operation Sindoor 'in a precise, targeted, proportionate and non-escalatory manner.'

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He stated that 'India has zero tolerance for terrorism and that it does not differentiate between terrorists and those supporting them.'

He requested Japan's support in the global fight against terrorism and called for the implementation of the UN Security Council Press Statement of April 25, 2025, which underlines the need 'to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and to bring them to justice,' as per the press release.

Iwaya reiterated Japan's support for India's counterterrorism efforts and expressed appreciation for the restraint shown by India. He said those responsible for terrorist acts must be punished.

The delegation also met Yoshihide Suga, former Prime Minister of Japan and current Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party and Chairman of the Japan-India Association, as well as Takashi Endo, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on National Security. Both leaders affirmed Japan's continued support for India's efforts against terrorism, the official statement added.

The Indian delegation also held an interaction with leading Japanese think tanks, briefing participants on India's zero tolerance policy on terrorism. Participants expressed strong support for India's counterterrorism stance during the discussions.

The visit also included a tribute ceremony in Tokyo, where the delegation offered floral tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Edogawa. (ANI)