Audience Bursts Into Laughter as Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s Journalist Son Grills Him on Pakistan During US Visit

In a rare and humorous moment at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington DC, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor found himself fielding a pointed question from an unexpected source—his own son. Ishaan Tharoor, a global affairs columnist with The Washington Post, took the mic not only to greet his father during a packed event but also to pose a tough question on India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack and Pakistan’s repeated denials of involvement.

With a chuckle and disarming honesty, Shashi Tharoor responded to his son’s query, “That shouldn’t be allowed. This is my son,” drawing hearty laughter from the audience. Ishaan clarified he was asking in a personal capacity and was mostly there to say hi. Still, the question he delivered was anything but light. “Have any of your government interlocutors asked you to show evidence of Pakistan’s culpability in the initial attack?” he asked.

Tharoor, leading a multi-party Indian delegation across Western countries, firmly replied that India would not have undertaken Operation Sindoor without credible intelligence. He emphasized, “Let me say very clearly that India would not have done this without convincing evidence. India is not the kind of country that would launch a military strike on a whim.” He acknowledged that while foreign governments hadn’t demanded evidence, some media outlets had.

The Congress leader went on to detail India’s longstanding struggle with cross-border terrorism, stating that 24 terrorist attacks linked to Pakistan occurred last year alone, none of which required a large-scale response—until the deadly Pahalgam incident. According to Tharoor, the nature of that attack showed “hallmarks of a sophisticated, deliberate operation,” involving intelligence gathering and strategic targeting, including asking victims their religion before execution.

He recalled past examples, including Pakistan’s denials after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, where evidence was irrefutable. “One of the attackers was caught alive, and his identity and address in Pakistan were confirmed. The US and Indian intelligence even intercepted live instructions being given to terrorists by Pakistani handlers,” he said, underscoring India’s history with Pakistan’s duplicity.

Tharoor also reminded the audience of America’s own experience with Pakistan harboring Osama bin Laden, found in a secure compound near a military base, adding, “Americans haven’t forgotten that.”

Touching on the group that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, Tharoor stated that The Resistance Front is widely recognized as a proxy for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba. “They’ll dispatch terrorists and deny responsibility until caught red-handed,” he concluded.

The moment between father and son may have been lighthearted on the surface, but the gravity of the topic and Tharoor’s frank assessment left a lasting impact—blending personal warmth, political depth, and undeniable realism about one of South Asia’s most volatile fault lines.