Economic sanctions against Pakistan via trade, visas, water are the third part of Operation Sindoor: Jay Panda Premium

BJP MP Baijayant Panda leads successful diplomatic outreach to OIC countries, discusses economic sanctions against Pakistan.

BJP MP Baijayant Panda, who headed a multi party delegation that visited Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria as part of a diplomatic outreach post Operation Sindoor said the delegation’s remit was not just to put India’s case on its right to retaliate against terror acts on its soil, but also to convey the “new normal” of imposing economic sanctions against Pakistan for the same.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr Panda said that his delegation that visited four countries that are also members of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which had issued an objectionable statement post the Pahalgam terror attack, which was condemned by India, had received a positive feedback, even on the question of these economic sanctions.

“I and everybody in my delegation, considered this visit to be extremely successful because of the support we received explicitly. We were explicitly told that they understand India’s dilemma. Now, but this is a work in progress. This is it’s not a thing that’s going to get resolved today,” he said.

He said that military hostilities was the first part of Operation Sindoor, the second was the diplomatic outreach by MPs and the last part, which was conveyed via these delegations was the economic sanctions against Pakistan. “And we discussed that at length, that our economic sanctions, having to do with visas, with water, with shipping, with trade, these are all intended to nudge Pakistan in the right direction. Prime Minister Modi has made it very clear. These are put in abeyance. They are not permanently scrapped,” he said.

He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s consistent outreach, through the last decade with these countries, many of whom, have awarded him their highest civilian honours helped, apart from their own experiences with terrorism.

“The one comment that used to have tremendous response with all these countries, was how just like how America went into Pakistan and had to take out Osama bin Laden, we also have the right to defend ourselves by hitting a terrorist camps. These countries have been the victims of ISIS, and they were deeply embarrassed by Pakistan’s complicity in hiding Osama bin Laden,” he said.

On being asked about how these countries explained the negative statement by the OIC, Mr Panda said took a longer view, stating that it emerged out decades of a “circle the wagons” approach.