Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri (L) and senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor (R).
Credit: PTI Photos
New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will brief a Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday on Operation Sindoor and subsequent ceasefire announcement and foreign policy developments involving Pakistan.
The multi-party Parliamentary Standing Committee on external affairs has summoned Misri for a briefing on the 'current foreign policy developments regarding India and Pakistan'. The briefing is scheduled at 4 pm on Monday.
This is the first time a top government official will be appearing before a Parliamentary panel to brief about the post Pahalgam situation in the country.
It was Misri along with Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh who briefed media after India conducted 'Operation Sindoor' targeting nine terrorist hotspots in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied-Kashmir on May 7 in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike.
The IFS officer, who was hailed for the handling of India's public outreach, had faced online trolls after he made the media announcement about ceasefire on May 10.
The MPs are expected to quiz Misri on the foreign policy initiatives taken by the government after the Pahalgam terror strike and Operation Sindoor.
With US President Donald Trump taking credit for the ceasefire and claiming his role in mediation and using trade to bring both India and Pakistan on table, Misri is also likely to face questions on India's stand on the developments.
Misri is also likely to list out the support India received following the Pahalgam strike though some Opposition MPs are expected to raise questions about the re-entry of hyphenation of India and Pakistan and internationalisation of Kashmir issue following Trump’s remarks.
He is also expected to brief the panel about sending seven delegations to 32 countries and the European Union in the next three weeks to campaign against Pakistan’s sponsorship for cross-border terrorism and explain to them about why India was forced to take military action against its neighbour.
Besides Tharoor, the other members in the 31-member panel include Ravishankar Prasad and Sudhanshu Trivedi (BJP), Deepender Hooda (Congress), Abhishek Banerjee (Trinamool Congress), Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) and John Brittas (CPIM).